《Under the Oak Tree (Web Novel KR)》 Chapter ss8: Side Story: The White Dragon – Part 6 (The end) As soon as the king spoke, the priests who had been waiting in the transept began singing a Roemian hymn. The solemnity of the song sent shivers down Ursuline''s spine. He felt his mouth dry up as he looked toward the entrance. Before long, Riftan Calypse, d in silver armor, stepped into the cathedral. Ursuline unwittingly held his breath. As the knight-to-be passed the crossing where the nave intersected with the transept, sunlight streamed through the ss windows and beamed over his face. In that moment, he seemed like a being from a different world. "Come forth and take your ce before the altar," King Reuben called out. Riftan Calypse slowly walked forward and kneeled. He disyed such reverence that it was hard to imagine this was the same man who derided the code of chivalry. Confusion suddenly washed over Ursuline. Riftan Calypsecked all the qualities of a proper knight. He was disrespectful, arrogant, and thought nothing of honor. Not only that, but he readily exploited others'' weaknesses to intimidate them. He also did not shy away from underhanded tactics such as attacking under the cover of darkness or making vicious threats to gain the upper hand. So far, his every action had been a far cry from chivalry. Yet, Ursuline could not take his eyes off Riftan''s face, bathed in a resplendent white light. Perhaps it was because he knew that everything Riftan had done was to protect the honor of another, rather than his own. Was fighting for someone else''s honor not the most noble cause of knighthood? As Ursuline mulled over this, he heard Riftan''s deep voice begin reciting the knighting ceremony''s vow. "In this very spot, I do solemnly swear, Before my foes, I will never cower or despair, To the meek, I will grant mercy''s gracious light, Even ''gainst death''s dark, I will hold honor tight. To those who dare defy your sacred decree, I will be the vengeful de, their reckoning they will see, For your people, a steadfast shield I shall be..." Riftan slowly raised his head. Ursuline felt a chill run down his back. He instinctively knew that he was bearing witness to the rebirth of this man. "This oath, carved in soul, for all to decree. I, Riftan Calypse, embark this day so bold, As a knight, my path is sealed, my loyalty untold." King Reuben III drew his sword and ced the tip on the young man''s shoulder, dering, "All those present bear witness to your solemn oath, and thus, I dub thee Riftan Calypse, knight of the Kingdom of Wedon." No sooner had the king made the announcement than the choir began singing in a magnificent baritone about the chivalry of Rosem Wigrew and the twelve knights. Riftan Calypse slowly rose to his feet. He epted the chalice from the high priest and gulped down the blood-red wine. When the formal proceedings finally concluded, Evan Triton and the other Remdragon Knights stepped out of the box pew to congratte theirrade. As Ursuline watched from a distance, he realized what he truly wanted. He had never once desired to be Count Ricaydo. All he had ever wanted was to be a knight. From the moment he first gripped a sword, he had longed to find someone to whom he could pledge his unreserved allegiance. Everything seemed clearer now. Ursuline approached his father, who was conversing with the other nobles. "There is something I wish to say." His father turned around and looked at him quizzically. As Ursuline spoke, his voice was firmer than it had ever been. "I would like to join the Remdragon Knights." *** The knights were loading their luggage onto their saddles when they stopped to look at Ursuline, all wearing simr troubled expressions. Ursuline stubbornly jutted out his chin. "I already have my father''s permission," he stated firmly before stealing a nce at Riftan, who stood a short distance away. Riftan frowned, clearly not expecting Ursuline to have taken his advice in such a manner. He seemed puzzled as to why the young noble would choose to join a band of wandering knights over the title of a count. Ursuline turned back to Evan Triton. "At least tell me why I am being refused." "Well, this is a bit of a pickle," Triton sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I must confess, the Remdragon Knights are nothing like the Royal Knights of Wedon. We rarely stay in one ce for long, and our days are spent battling monsters or in the thick of disputes. If you join us, don''t expect to be escorting royalty or serving important nobles." "I did not choose the path of a knight to put on airs," Ursuline replied sharply. "I''ve heard enough about your exploits to know the kinds of activities you engage in. I am not walking into this blindly. Still, I wish to be a Remdragon Knight." "Surely we could put him through a test?" a burly man interrupted, approaching from behind Evan Triton. It was Hebaron Nirtha. He stroked his bushy beard, a mischievous smile ying on his lips. "Teach him a lesson, and he might just chicken out." Ursuline shot daggers at the brawny man, who pursed his lips and pretended to whistle. "Looks like he has a backbone, at least." Ursuline chose not to reply. Hebaron Nirtha scratched his chin, deep in thought, before turning to shout at hisrades, "Hey, who wants to test him?" "You suggested it first, Sir Nirtha," a lithe young knight shot back. "Look at the size difference," Hebaron replied. "What do you expect me to do with this skinny kid?" "You will do fine," Ursuline said coldly. "I can take you." "You can take me, eh?" "Are you afraid of being humiliated?" Hebaron scoffed. "You sure are gutsy, you little whippersnapper." Ursuline red back defiantly, saying nothing more. Hebaron scratched his neck, then began walking away. He tilted his chin toward an open area nearby. "Fine. I''ll humor you." Ursuline followed after him. Once the man had taken up position a short distance away, he drew the massive ymore at his back with one hand - a formidable sight. Next to him, Ursuline almost felt like a dwarf facing a giant. Every nerve in his body came alive as he drew his own sword from his waist. "Well,e at me," Hebaron drawled, looking at the young noble with disinterest. Without hesitating, Ursuline lunged forward. Almost instantly, a loud thud rang out as Hebaron barely managed to parry the blow in time. His eyes widened in surprise. Had he reacted a secondter, the match would have been over. The burly knight burst intoughter. "I''m impressed." Ursuline wasted no time in resuming his attack. Despite his size, Hebaron was surprisingly agile, dodging overhead swings and aiming precisely at the gaps in Ursuline''s defense. As Hebaron''s de shot toward him, Ursuline parried at thest possible moment. The heavy impact rattled through his wrist, elbow, and shoulder like a bolt of lightning. The knight''s strength was formidable. Ursuline gritted his teeth and stepped back. Hebaron, however, gave him no space to breathe. He pursued relentlessly, swinging his ymore. After narrowly deflecting the attack, Ursuline immediately retaliated. Hebaron swiftly turned his body away, but Ursuline managed to leave a small scratch on his bearded cheek. His moment of triumph was short-lived. Something shifted in his opponent''s demeanor; the giant''s eyes shed with malice as he swung his ymore diagonally. At that precise moment, Evan Triton jumped in and blocked the attack. "What are you doing? It was just getting interesting!" Hebaron fumed. "That is quite enough," Triton said sternly, his keen eyes fixed on Ursuline. Ursuline steadied his breathing as he met the viscount''s piercing gaze. "Well, I must say, you''ve astonished me," Triton said. "Your father never mentioned anything like this." Ursuline smiled bitterly. His father had never once given him any recognition. Count Ricaydo merely regarded him as his precious youngest son. He wouldn''t have taken thepliments offered by Ursuline''s sword instructor or Sir Arthus as anything but ttery. But none of that matters anymore. Ursuline was determined to carve his own destiny. He pressed Triton in a somewhat agitated voice, "Have I passed the test?" "Yes, you passed with flying colors," Evan Triton said, extending his hand with a grin. "Wee to the Remdragon Knights. You are now one of us." Taking a deep breath, Ursuline grasped Triton''srge, calloused hand. The viscountughed heartily and pulled him toward the rest of the Remdragon Knights. Just then, a strong gust swept through, sending the blue banners on their spears fluttering. Ursuline paused to gaze up at the white dragons emzoned on them. For a moment, he was overwhelmed with the sense that he would be seeing this emblem up close for years toe. Looking ahead once more, he took a brisk step forward into his new destiny. Chapter 1: His Return Chapter 1 ¨C His Return Maximilian Calypse nervously paced around the drawing room. She was so tense that she didn¡¯t even recognize that she was biting her nails until the Duke of Cross came inside. When she heard his cane hitting the floor, Max hurriedly hid her hands behind her back. ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you a thousand times about that nasty habit?¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­¡± Max bowed her head at her father¡¯s cold voice. The duke clicked his tongue as he looked at the scene. ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass me. You¡¯ve got more luck than you deserve. I won¡¯t forgive you if you cause trouble to our family with your dirty behavior.¡± Cold sweat dripped behind her back. She stiffened in fear and opened her mouth with difficulty. ¡°I will do everything that you say father. I will¡­ he, as soon, as hees¡­¡± She could tell what her father¡¯s face was without looking up. When she spoke, he always had a disgusted look directed towards her. Max tried to carry on with her words as calmly as she could. ¡°Father, I¡¯ll try, I¡¯ll try. This, this marriage, this¡­.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± The Duke of Cross hit the floor firmly with his cane. ¡°Even for today¡­ but no. Can¡¯t you just be calm for a few hours? Who the hell would want a wife like you who stutters like a horse!¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± ¡°Riftan Calypse is no longer a low-ranking knight! He has be one of the sword masters on the continent, and the ¡®bold warrior¡¯ who has defeated the Red Dragon! If he wants to, the temple will consent to a divorce permit.¡± Just imagining it was horrible, and he breathed loudly, his forehead creasing. ¡°For the spirit of the Cross family you should not be divorced by a knight from the heavens! You can¡¯t let the family be aughingstock because of their stupid daughter.¡± She bit her lips. The objection that it wasn¡¯t her fault soared to her throat. She had never wanted to marry Riftan Calypse and she knew he felt the same way. Wasn¡¯t it the duke himself who pushed ahead with the marriage that no one asked for? Whether he had read her rebellious thoughts or not, her father remained icy. ¡°If you were half as beautiful as Rosetta¡­No, at the very least as normal. I wouldn¡¯t have taken this road to please him!¡± When she remembered her half-sister, whose beauty wasparable to a rose, her arguments faded away like sand. Looking down at her pale, weary face, the duke of Cross added ruthlessly. ¡°Even if King Ruben wants to wee him as his son-inw, he¡¯ll be fine even if the other party refuses! It¡¯s all because you couldn¡¯t win his heart!¡± ¡°B-but¡­he-he, on the wedding, the-the next day he¡¯s gone¡­.¡± She was about to argue it was not about capturing his heart butt that she never had the chance to have a proper conversation with him. Before such words could be uttered, Max was struck on the side with the cane, and she crouched with a gasp. She reeled from the immense pain, unable to release a scream. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about talking back to me. Just thinking about your horrible habit makes me incensed!¡± She nodded hurriedly for fear of the wood flying a second time. The duke, who had his lips pressed as if to pour more poison, withdrew at the sound of a knock on the door. The quiet voice of the maid could be heard. ¡°Lord, the Knights of Remdragon have arrived.¡± ¡°Guide him to the drawing room!¡± Max looked up at his father in terror. He threatened furiously with his gnashed teeth. ¡°Make it clear to Calypse that you can¡¯t annul your marriage! Once again, if you insult the family, you¡¯ll pay heavily!¡± Then he went out of the drawing room leaving behind Max. She stood up with difficulty and leaned back against the window, waiting breathlessly for the pain to pass. The pouring autumn sunlight pierced her eyes in her painful state. Still, she managed to swallow her tears. Her situation never improves even if she cried. Instead, it will only make her look more miserable than she already is. Max sped her trembling hand tightly. She had to keep her head straight. For a woman in this society, divorce was tantamount to a death sentence. It was not just a matter of being ridiculed, but it was an irrevocable disgrace to the family. Chapter 2: Second Meeting Chapter 2 ¨C Second Meeting To clean up the taint, a man from her family would have to challenge Riftan Calypse to a duel. But her father had no son, and none of his rtives or knights in service could ever hope to match him. After all, who can fight against the swordsman who has defeated a dragon? Eventually, it could only lead to the family¡¯s honor being tarnished and her father never, ever forgiving her. Perhaps she would suddenly face death even before the process of the formal divorce would take ce. This was her father she was talking about¡­ ¡®So somehow¡­¡¯ ¡®But will he listen to me?¡¯ She bit her lips, her mood as if she was standing at the tip of a cliff. Their marriage was made solely for the convenience of the Duke of Cross and his knights. Three years ago, when news spread across the continent that Red Dragon, hibernating in Aranthal, had opened its eyes, Elnuma Ruben III ordered his vassals to arms with stringent action. Naturally, the Duke of Cross also had to lead his knights on the expedition. But his father passed on the duty by marrying Riftan Calypse to her. She shivered at the thought of the insulting remarks that the guests had mumbled on the day of the wedding day. The low-ranking knight, Riftan, had to be dragged out of the ceremony as he could not disobey the order of the Duke. The anger and humiliation he would have felt was unthinkable. His expression of restraint was just as fearful. ¡®If only I were half as beautiful as Rosetta¡­Maybe he will feel much better and would not think of divorcing me.¡¯ Ideas drifted in her head in self derision. Despite his low status, Riftan Calypse was a man with breathtaking features. Even Rosetta, who was mocking him for his origin, blushed at the sight of the knight. Riftan could have enjoyed a lot of romantic rtionships with beautifuldies. Such a man could have escaped having a stutter as his wife. Furthermore, his status was no longer a hindrance. ¡®In the event he marries the king¡¯s daughter¡­I won¡¯t be able to change his mind even if I begged him.¡¯ They spent only one night together. The very next day, Riftan left with the army without saying a word of farewell. Even after that, he did not send her a single telegram. She felt doubtful whether he had even regarded her as his wife. As she sped her face in a dismal mood, a gloomy voice prated her ears. ¡°What a sight worth seeing.¡± Max looked up in surprise. Since when had a giant man been standing by the door staring at her? ¡°My wife trembling, waiting for her husband toe back from the dead.¡± The man walked up slowly, his sarcasm dripping. She looked at him, forgetting even to breathe. Riftan Calypse, wearing a dark blue tunic and silver armor, reminiscent of a monk, looked muchrger and overbearing than she had remembered. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a warm wee, but there¡¯s no reason to shiver like you¡¯ve seen the gue.¡± The cold words finally brought Max to her senses. The blood drained from her face at the thought that she had offended him in less than a minute after their reunion. ¡°Y-you¡¯vee, safely, back safely¡­.¡± ¡®What should I say? I don¡¯t know what to call him.¡¯ Riftan? It seemed too much of an endearment. Lord Calypse? She thought she¡¯d beughed at. As she mumbled back her words, she suddenly felt an intense gaze looking at her and took a step back. She couldn¡¯t figure out why he was looking at her like that. As if it couldn¡¯t get worse, the man¡¯s face became colder for some reason. He snatched her arm and uttered harshly. ¡°At least pretend to be happy in weing me.¡± She froze as their bodies met within a hair¡¯s breadth, the smell of leather, horse, and of faint sweat piercing the tip of her nose. His masculine odor shed across her mind, and a memory that had been buried for three years. Mysterious heat blossomed from his hard, prating gaze. He looked down at her like one looking at a raw meat, like a hound on the brink of biting its meal. She dropped her eyes in a hurry, her face burning as if she was under the unforgiving heat of the sun. With her heart beating faster with every second, memories of their marriage slowly flooded her thoughts. Her husband was finally back home. How would she deal with him now? Chapter 3: Wedding Night (1) Chapter 3 ¨C Wedding Night (1) ¡°Take off your clothes.¡± By the end of the wedding reception, she was led into the bridal chamber by a nanny. With the help of the maids, she washed herself clean and sat on the bed, and after a while her husband followed her into the room. Then he, who was hardened by tension, said so to her. Max didn¡¯t know his intentions, but her eyes were wide open. She couldn¡¯t understand why the man, who hadpletely ignored her presence throughout the wedding, had made such a demand out of the blue. She had no specific knowledge, though vaguely aware, that something secret happened between couples. The nanny said, ¡°You have to obey your husband unconditionally and ept whatever he asks in silence.¡± How can such unconditional obedience involve taking off her clothes? She was at a loss on what to do, but the man who threw his top over his head gave her a hard look. ¡®Do I have to take it off?¡¯ She took a breath of surprise. Riftan Calypse was like a giant made of twisted steel. His shoulders were twice as wide as hers, his neck was long and thick, and his waist was lean and straight, akin to an elegant hound. She was ridiculous inparison. She knew at first that he was a man of unique physique among the knights, but it was overwhelming to see him face to face. She swallowed hard. It hurts when his father hit her, what more if he is the one to hit her? ¡°You look terrible.¡± His cold voice made Max tremble. The man strode up to the bed and openly stared at her. His huge body, purring golden at the firece light, blocked her vision. ¡°You don¡¯t like me very much, do you?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I, I¡­¡± He bent over her. On the face of near perfection, his ck eyes held an eerie glow. The man¡¯s tight lips twisted with cynicism. ¡°Of course, a duke¡¯s daughter would never ce in her heart a low-ranking knight.¡± There has been an uncontroble tremor in her body when she heard his voice is full of hostility. A wife belongs to her husband. If he desired, she could be beaten and a harsher corporal punishment was tolerated in her society. Max sweated with fear in the situation where she was forced to cling to his husband¡¯s generosity and that at this moment, she might have angered him. ¡°Come here. You know what you have to do.¡± Max couldn¡¯t urge to ask what she had to do and instead, looked down at her toes. A dark shade fell over her head. The man raised her chin with his long, rough fingers, sending an indecipherable gaze. ¡°If we don¡¯t do it on the first night, this marriage is considered invalid. Do you want an annulment?¡± Caught in his dark pupils of unknown depth, she shivered. The man twisted his mouth. ¡°If you want me to go out, tell me,¡± he said. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Once we start, there¡¯s no stopping in the middle.¡± Max¡¯s throat constricted and she swallowed hard a second time. If she went away like this, her father would surely not forgive her. She had no choice in the first ce. Max closed her eyes and loosened her belt with trembling hands. The fear of being beaten by her father was much greater than the fear of being humiliated by a stranger. No. She would not end up being beaten. Perhaps, a more severe punishment would be, her father would even be back with another knight in a few days. She was nothing more than a tool for her father¡¯s convenience. In the punctuating silence, Max took off her ornaments one by one and ced them down beside the bed. Only the sound of the fire cackling could be heard through the room. She could feel the man¡¯s stinging gaze as she pulled down the strap of her linen dress and pulled her arm out of the sky-high sleeve. The cold night air swept across her naked back and shoulders harshly, making her flesh erupt to goosebumps. She clutched her clothes to her chest, unable to lift them further down. Then the man put one knee on the bed and pulled the hem of her skirt in one motion. Chapter 4: Wedding Night (2) This chapter contains explicit scenes. Chapter 4 ¨C Wedding Night (2) ¡°N-now, wait a second¡­!¡± The hem of the dress flowed down without resistance against Riftan¡¯s ominous strength. As she grabbed at the hem of her dress in a hurry, there was a look of irritation in his eyes. ¡°Remove your hands.¡± ¡°Why, why, oh, my clothes¡­¡± She looked up at him with a confused look. The man¡¯s face was enveloped in a deep shadow with his back against the fire. Max felt more afraid because she couldn¡¯t see his expression in detail. ¡°Do you want me to stay or not? Be sure.¡± Max swallowed a sob. Her shoulders shivered as he threw her waistband on the floor without lowering his hands. The cold air swept over her exposed skin. ¡°There¡¯s no turning back now.¡± His low voice ringing in her ear chilled her heart. He stroked her pale body stiffened with tension with his warm, calloused hands. As she instinctively tried to push, the man pulled her against him more strongly, wounding one arm around the back of her waist. A strange tingle in the spine and a curious heat were all that came from her body. ¡°J-just a little bit a-away¡­¡± She asked in a trembling voice, but the man didn¡¯t even care to hear her. He bowed his head and kissed her breasts. She instantly opened her eyes in shock. Hot lips swirled over her soft, gentle skin. His strange touch made Max shudder. It was the sight of a grown-up man burying his face in her chest like a newborn baby. ¡°Relieve your body.¡± He caressed her stiff, hardened back with a rough palm. His moist breath in contact with her skin gave her goosebumps. He rubbed his rough chin on her soft skin and pushed one hand into the hem of her garment that had been covering her waist. She jumped up. The man¡¯s hand touched an area of her that she had never imagined. Her lips quivered with astonishment. ¡°What, what are you¡­¡± ¡°Stay still. If you continue like this, you¡¯ll be in pain.¡± Her legs shook in fright. The man, who only exchanged stares with her several times, was now touching her most intimate body part without hesitation. She couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°This, this¡­ d-don¡¯t do it.¡± She grasped his thick shoulders and pleaded. Under her touch, she could feel the man¡¯s body swaying and trembling. His firm skin was burning under the palms of her hands. It felt as if she was holding an iron heated by fire. Riftan, whose lips were clinging to her skin, soon brushed over her own mouth with renewed vigor. His unfamiliar, rough taste spreading through her mouth made Max¡¯s shoulder shake. While she was distracted, he pulled down the hem of her dress and lowered his hand. Her scream was sucked into his mouth. ¡°Fuck it¡­¡± The mixture of her groan and his curse came out from their intertwined lips. She struggled so much like a carp ferociously swimming in water. The deep waters that she dived in was an unfamiliar territory she could not recognize. Her legs thrashed instinctively. But she couldn¡¯t get out because she was weighed down by his rock-like body. She felt like a helpless deer struggling with a hound¡¯s teeth on her neck. ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t wait¡­¡± He pushed his hand a little deeper, muttering in a nervous voice. Max stopped breathing. The advice of the nanny, who said, ¡®You have to ept everything your husband does as submissively,¡¯ has long disappeared from her mind. She fluttered like a fish on water under the ministrations of his hand. And an unimaginable sensation shook her whole body. ¡°Ha, no¡­! Oh!¡± There was no use in struggling to escape. He kissed her furiously and touched her body firmly. Max could only bite the pillow. It was hard to believe that such a bizarre act was actually happening. Her eyes were burning, and her head was spinning. She was ignorant. She doesn¡¯t know anything about this. Chapter 5: Unforgotten Memories This chapter contains explicit scenes. Chapter 5 ¨C Unforgotten Memories ¡°A little¡­ it¡¯s going to hurt a little.¡± The movements from his fingers finally halted after some time, to which felt like eternity to Max. In her limp tiredness, she took a long exhale, her rigid body couldn¡¯t resist any longer. Riftan took ahold of her clothes and pushing one arm under her waist, lifted it above her head. Their hot bodies made contact. Only then did she realize that his body, as well as hers, was slick with sweat. The man¡¯s back glistened gold in the dim lighting. It suddenly urred to thought that she was sneaking into a cksmith¡¯s forge and saw a golden statue. Would this be the sight when you pour boiling liquid from the furnace over a body? her thoughts echoed unanswered as her whole body melted, feeling as if it was drowned into a pot of gold. ¡°Breathe. Take a long breath.¡± He whispered roughly in her ears, iprehensible to fully understand in the moment as her back trembled upon his touch on her skin. In an unconscious effort, she spread her legs and clung for life to the man¡¯s hard forearms. Then his lower body sank heavily between her parted legs. ¡°Ack!¡± The dull pain came before realization of what was happening dawned in. Max struggled fruitlessly with fear as the man trapped her underneath him with their locked lips. She was unable to escape; her heart was crushed against his strong chest as he pushed deeper into her body. She could only cry, raking her fingernails without mercy all over his forearm. ¡°Oh, it hurts¡­ it hurts¡­¡± she howled. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re too narrow¡­¡± Tepid sweat trickled down from his neck and fell over her face. As she unconsciously bent her body to get out of the pain, he shivered faintly and firmly grabbed her waist with both hands. Deep wrinkles were set in his forehead as he did so. ¡°Please¡­ stay still¡­¡± an unexpected plea came from his lips. But Max was only swallowed by the intense agony that wracked her body. ¡°It, it hurts¡­ it hurts¡­!¡± ¡°Fuck! Don¡¯t move, please¡­ ugh!¡± She could feel the man¡¯s body shivering and for a moment, she stopped breathing. He hugged her waist, his hold tight on her that she felt she was going to break and began to move as if he could no longer bear it anymore. She groaned at the sharp pain that came. Every time his body shifted; her own body shook like a helpless boat on a raging river. Her mind grew more and more muddy as time ticked by. What are you doing to me? The sheets she clenched with her hands felt as if it were on the verge of tearing. ¡°Oh, fuck¡­¡± Max couldn¡¯t fathom how much time had psed before he uttered a strangled moan and drooped over her. He breathed hard under her body, billows of hot steam rising in the process. The man¡¯s shoulders still moved erratically as with his heaving. As she noticed all this, a strange sense of loss struck Max. She looked up at the ceiling nkly, her eyelids shaking. What just happened? ¡°Why¡­ are you crying?¡± Only after being questioned by the man did Max realized tears were falling from her lids. As she tried to hide her face in a hurry, she felt his moist tongue run over her cheek. She instantly tried to turn her face away. But this only led him to sp her face and grasp it so that she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape him. ¡°Don¡¯t avoid.¡± An intense, iprehensible gaze bore to her from his dark eyes, and it made goose bumps erupt on the skin of her back. As he said this, he ced his lips over her temples and cheekbones wet with tears. ¡°You¡¯re my wife now. Like it or not, there¡¯s no turning back.¡± Then he pulled her hair and forced a kiss. Repeatedly, she had to ept helplessly. Time passed without her knowledge¡­ That fateful night, she couldn¡¯t count how many times they repeated it. After losing consciousness, she woke up past noon. By then he had already left for the expedition, and the nanny told her that the priest had identified the virgin blood on the bed and announced that their marriage was sessful. Such was the rite of passage for marriage. That was all that happened between them. She lost her virginity to him, and he left for the Lexos Mountains on behalf of Duke Cross. Never had it ur to Max that they were a couple. She felt the same on this moment when they finally faced each other after years¡­ Chapter 6: Behind His Piercing Gaze Chapter 6 ¨C Behind His Piercing Gaze Max mustered her courage to look towards the man filled with eyes she could only fathom to be filled with enmity. Her father¡¯s voice echoed persistently in her ears like a haunting melody, ¡°Make it clear to Calypse that you can¡¯t annul your marriage! Once again, if you insult the family, you¡¯ll pay heavily!¡± But her lips only clung tightly to one another as if an invisible glue were applied on it. What should I say? To her, she was just another intimidating man but her husband. ¡°Stop trembling!¡± The man suddenly raised his voice, making her step away reflexively out of fear. As soon as her foot touched backward, the man came closer, his muscles visibly straining from tension. ¡°Stop looking at me as if you¡¯ve seen a disgusting thing! Am I some kind of despicable monster to you?¡± Riftan¡¯s words unexpectedly caught her off guard. ¡°I, I¡­¡± Riftan cast her a fierce nce, only to sweep his hair a momentter from exasperation. Max eyes dimmed; in less than five minutes of their reunion he was already displeased. And to think she still had to persuade him to reconsider a divorce. Her lips were trembling against her will. Please, just say something. She urged herself in silence. ¡°I, I¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m s-so, so nervous¡­ wha-I d-don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡± She could feel her cheeks burn and the unmistakable burning pain in her eyes that signaled her iing tears. But she couldn¡¯t make him see that, to cry like a child in front of him. Desperation wed at her immediately. ¡°I d-don¡¯t think y-you are a monster, a monster, not a thought¡­ I, I, I¡¯m nervous¡­ yes¡­ huh, trembling, stop¡­¡± Her tongue didn¡¯t listen more than usual. She felt intense humiliation and couldn¡¯t bear to look him in the face anymore. It was too much of a feat in the first ce; it was impossible for her to persuade him when she could not even speak properly. Max bowed her head instead, the blush from her cheeks travelling all the way to the tip of her ears. She might as well keep her mouth shut, she mused dismally. A mature woman wouldn¡¯t stutter like fool. In the end, she felt as if she were standing naked in front of him. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Her shoulders flinched at the gentle voice that contrasted with the curse word. Her father was right, no man in the continent would ever want her as a wife. How could she even dare ask this man to refuse to marry a daughter of royalty, who was miles better than her? The helplessness that surged afterward did little to keep the tears at bay. At that moment, she felt the touch of cold skin on her cheek and was instantly frightened. A hand wearing the hard iron gloves used by the knights held her face with an uncanny tenderness. ¡°Open your mouth,¡± he mumbled, almost too soft for her to hear. Max didn¡¯t understand what was going on and stared nkly at Riftan¡¯s dark eyes like night in front of her. The man sighed, as if his patience was being tested. Then he slightly lowered her chin, forcing her lips to part. Soon, he deftly moved his hot tongue inside her mouth. Max caught his arm in surprise, and she thought the man mumbled irritably because of it. He bit her lips, yet another startling remarking from him. ¡°Fuck¡­ I should have taken my armor off first¡­¡± Max couldn¡¯te to her senses; she was unable to understand what was happening out of the blue. Her thoughts still hazy, Riftan pushed her back. From where they were standing awkwardly, the next moment they were resting on sofa, with him stooping on one knee next to her thigh. With practiced ease, he flung his gauntlet off in one motion. His long, hard fingers that slipped out of the silver gloves softly wrapped around her face. Instinctively, she grabbed at him by the hem of his clothes. Without another second, he locked his lips with her again, taking off the gloves on his other hand. His now free hand wounded into her hair, his hot palm squeezing her head nearer him. His tongue scoured her mouth ferociously, not sparing her teeth or tongue from his onughts. With his every move, Max found herself out of breath. When she felt dizziness descend from theck of oxygen, she finally pushed his chest out, and the man nibbled on her bottom lip. ¡°Just a little more¡­¡± Her heart throbbed at his low voice. His hot hand once again pressing against the back of her back impatiently and moving past her face and neck to settle on her chest. As she twisted away in embarrassment, he pulled her back and made her lie on the sofa. Without the least hesitancy, he pulled her skirt down, exposing her skin to the cool air. ¡°Ri, Riftan¡­!¡± Max cried out. Having already experienced it one time, she was immediately aware of what was his actions meant. Max stared at the door of the drawing room in puzzlement. She could only think fervently, what is he doing in broad daylight, in the drawing room of all ces, where anyone can go in and out freely? But it seemed that the man didn¡¯t care about propriety at all. He dived for her neck in urgency, tracing kisses on her skin as he pressed his hardened body between her legs. Max let out a surprised shriek. Whenever the man slowly rubbed himself on her, his protective gear wrapped around his thick thighs grazed her legs, the touch of cool metal making her skin erupt in goosebumps. Max felt embarrassment at the intimacy she couldn¡¯t stand and shut her lids tightly. Suddenly, Riftan leaped up, hurriedly covering her almost nakedness with hisrge cloak. Only then did she realize that there was someone watching them. A man dressed like Riftan stood stiffly outside the door with a perplexed face. ¡°What are you peeking at like a rat!¡± Riftan bellowed at once. Chapter 7: Insecurities and Misunderstandings (1) Chapter 7 ¨C Insecurities and Misunderstandings (1) With Riftan¡¯s fiery cry, Max raised her head in a hurry. The man at the receiving end of his anger looked perplexed by his overbearing demeanor. He frowned and yelled back, ¡°How would I know someone was doing that inside the drawing room! I just didn¡¯t feel the need to knock, as I usually do, because the leader would notice me right away!¡± ¡°Get the fuck out of here!¡± She turned pale at her husband¡¯s cry. If he goes out, then¡­ what happens next? Max entreated the man with a look begging him not to leave from behind her husband¡¯s back. But the man merely gritted his teeth and muttered something harsh under his breath before turning away. ¡°I have got a carriage waiting outside. You said you weren¡¯t here to ogle Cross castle!¡± Riftan replied without missing a beat, ¡°Tell him to wait.¡± The man gave a long, weary sigh, finding the situation helpless. ¡°Don¡¯t drag for long.¡± He cast a disapproving nce at Max and shut the door behind him loudly and went away. Max gaze drifted towards Riftan, roughly scratching his back and eyeing her with an intense look. His severe gaze made Max curl up and Riftanughed sardonically at the sight. ¡°Don¡¯t shiver, I¡¯m not going to rush at you again.¡± Then he added after some pause, ¡°Shit¡­ I had no intention to attack here from the start.¡± She didn¡¯t dare lift her head to look at him, but merely fixed her gaze on her fingers sped together. He rose to his feet and straightened up his disheveled clothes. ¡°You heard that too, didn¡¯t you? There¡¯s a carriage waiting outside. We¡¯ll have to leave right away.¡± She felt her skin cool, all the blood drained from her face. He was leaving her as quick as he came, she hadn¡¯t yet to say a word of persuasion, nor a coherent sentence. ¡°Ha, but¡­¡± The panic-stricken Max couldn¡¯t even think of fixing her loose attire, rather, she grabbed the hem of his clothes in anguish. ¡°W-wait a minute, let¡¯s talk¡ª¡± Riftan cut her off abruptly, ¡°We need to leave in a hurry. Have your maid get your luggage ready first. I¡¯ll hear what you have to say when we¡¯re in the carriage.¡± Max, who was frightened to the point she trembled again, paused for a moment, confusion evident in her orbs. She asked him again with a puzzled look. ¡°M-my baggage?¡± ¡°Yes. Your things. Pack the things you need to bring,¡± He spoke now in a soft tone, quite a difference from the bitter shouting from before. Still, Max felt his words were iprehensible. She owlishly blinked at him of which made him heave a great sigh. With quick hand gestures, he promptly arranged her unkempt dress and raised her from the sofa. He then called for a maid standing outside the door, ordering for Max¡¯s luggage. Only when she heard that did it dawn on Max¨Che was taking her with him. She was struck with incredulity. ¡°Only get what you need. We can¡¯t be dyed further.¡± Max bit out a reply immediately, ¡°Y-yes, I won¡¯t pack anything else, maybe rice, b-but there¡¯s not much, only a few¡­¡± ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll provide the things you need upon arrival at my estate.¡± The man called for the maid back with Max¡¯s luggage and had her lead them out of the drawing room. His long, hurried strides made Max almost run just to keep up with him. Meanwhile, Max was still with a befuddled mind, the situation was going to the oue she had least unexpected. ¡°U-uhm, y-your estate¡­?¡± ¡°Why?¡± He red from over his shoulder and sarcastically said, ¡°Is it strange that a poor, low-ranking knight would have his own territory?¡± He added further, ¡°I was knighted, consecrated by King Ruben himself. With myst name as yours, you should have lived there after our marriage.¡± Her puzzlement grew with every passing information. A house I should have been living in? Her thoughts unheard, he strode down the stairs in rapid steps and out into the wide garden, unwilling to exin further. Next to the Cross¡¯ huge fountain, a luxurious carriage led by four horses was parked where a few knights gathered. As soon as they came up to them, the noise from the men mored down. Some of the knights nced at Max standing behind Riftan, their curious gazes almost leaving a hole on her face. At Max remaining still behind him, Riftan turned back. ¡°What are you still doing? Quickly get inside the carriage.¡± ¡°Ah, but¡­ oh, my father should be waiting for me. Uh, l-let¡¯s first¡ª¡± Riftan¡¯s face suddenly hardened. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her all the way to the front of the carriage. ¡°You¡¯re my wife. I¡¯m taking my wife with me and whose permission should I head? Even your father has no power to interfere.¡± With such decisive words, he lifted her inside with his robust arms and made her sit on the carriage seat. The mystified look from Max face wouldn¡¯t leave. ¡®My wife¡¯, he said¡­ and here she thought he was going to proceed with the divorce. Her thoughts were spiraling out of control inside her head. Chapter 8: Insecurities and Misunderstandings (2) Chapter 8 ¨C Insecurities and Misunderstandings (2) ¡°Go, go, go!¡± He sat opposite of her, shouting at the people outside of the carriage and a momentter the wagon began to rattle. Max looked towards castle Cross in bewilderment. She had imagined countless of times the different ways her reunion with her husband would have gone. However, this current development was far from the premediated scenes in her anxious mind. Why¡­ why are you taking me with you? Max could only muse internally the question, looking at her husband with wide eyes like a doe. Riftan was looking out at thendscape with his arm over the window, looking remarkably calm, as if he had never dragged her out in a thunderbolt after he suddenly rained kisses on her. ¡°King Ruben has urged him to an engagement with his royal daughter. He won¡¯t miss this chance!¡± The Duke of Cross was like the devil on her shoulder, repeating the damning words to her ear. But it was not only the duke who thought so, even she believed in it. Princess Agnes, who was the royalty to be engaged to him, was a reputable magician. And one of the heroes who yed a part in the excursion for the Red Dragon. The romantic story of the two simr souls who were fighting together on the battlefield and turning into lovers blew like a gentle wind throughout the city. Those who had caught whiff of this tale expected a grand wedding upon their return. The famous warrior, Riftan and the gifted magician, Princess Agnes! An in her thoughts, she thought a divorce was imminent, spiraling down her like an unstoppable avnche. Even the priest who had presided over their wedding would have thought so. Not a soul was unaware of how Duke Cross tyranny was the reason for their marriage. He had a legitimate cause and justification for demanding a divorce. But why did you¡­?¡¯ She stole a nce towards Riftan¡¯s side profile. The breeze that drifted into their carriage yed with his locks, swaying them gently. His frosty countenance, one he must have developed after the severe expedition, served to create an unapproachable atmosphere. His untidy hair was even cluttered like a bird¡¯s nest on his forehead, and his burnt, golden skin gave his handsome appearance an even more exotic atmosphere. Max had never seen Princess Agnes in person, but she did hard tales of her great beauty. Brilliant, blond locks and deep blue eyes like the ocean. She had no doubt that if she were to stand next to him, they would look like people from a beautiful painting. Thinking so, she took a cautious peek at her reflection on the carriage window. The sight of a wide forehead, the small, low bridge of her nose, and a face that to her, looked weird because of herrge eyes, greeted her. Brown freckles rested on the top of the nose like drizzled dirt, and her hair, which had been braided to control her rebellious curls, still had wayward hairs sticking out like straw. Only terrible thoughts were present inside her head. She was convinced he didn¡¯t want her to be his wife. There must be something else, what do you want me to do? she thought, at the receiving end of her fears. As if noticing her scrutinizing him, and the doubtful gaze from her eyes, he finally nced back at her. Caught by his piercing eyes, Max quickly lowered her head. The man found her action disconcerting and spat out a small curse. ¡°Even though it feels terrible to be with me, try to hide your repulsion. I have no intention of leaving this carriage because of a faint-hearted wife!¡± With his ever-increasing agitation, Max hurriedly said, ¡°Oh, no, no! It¡¯s not terrible. No, I-I never said that¡­¡± ¡°In that case, what¡¯s with that look of disgust!¡± he venomously spat out a secondter. In impulse, Max hurriedly raised her hands to cover her face. While it was true that confusion made her scared and jittery, she was btedly mindful of how she must have looked to him with her depressing emotions on disy. It must have made him feel unpleasant. ¡°I know you are well aware how our situation,¡± he gestured to both of them, ¡°is not¡­ ordinary.¡± The man sighed at her stubborn silence. Only unbeknownst to him, Max was sweating profusely in anxiety. He continued, more levelheadedly this time, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about you. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same for you. But you¡¯re my wife now, and I must take you with me throughout my days, as the vows dere. But how can I regard you as my wife if you shiver so much just by being next to me?¡± ¡°A-all your life¡­ Y-you are taking me?¡± Her astonished look made his face distort, in fury or of something else, Max was already lost. ¡°We got married three years ago. Isn¡¯t it the heaven¡¯s will for a married couple to live together forever?¡± She looked at him as if a second head had sprouted from his wide neck. She couldn¡¯t believe it; such a person truly had no intention of breaking off their marriage? Perhaps he is lying for some reason, maybe his words are to mock me because he thinks I haven¡¯t heard of his engagement to the princess. Despite his words, the thoughts in Max¡¯s head only proceeded to an abysmal path. Chapter 9: Damsel in Distress (1) Chapter 9 ¨C Damsel in Distress (1) ¡°Even a native like me knows the importance of marriage vows. I can¡¯t believe that a nobledy like you ignored it thoroughly.¡± He fired back at her in confusion. ¡°What do you mean, ignore?¡± ¡°What the hell do you call it? You married me and youpletely ignored your duties so casually. Don¡¯t expect me to put up with such an attitude in the future!¡± She opened her mouth in astonishment. How could he make such usation? The day after their wedding, he left without saying a word! ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know. You d-didn¡¯t tell me¡­.¡± He seemed unimpressed with her defense, so she added, ¡°I-I never ignored, uh, no! Oh, rather¡­I¡¯ve been waiting¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me! You¡¯ve stayed at your father¡¯s castle for the past three years, even though you¡¯re called Mrs. Calypse. You just chose to remain in your father¡¯s luxurious castle, despite knowing I had to leave my estate right after the wedding!¡± He snorted loudly. ¡°However, I seem to understand. No aristocratic woman in the world will give up her high position and protect her husband¡¯s house, who may return as a corpse.¡± Max run out of strength to answer, deeply embarrassed by his usation that she couldn¡¯t refute a word. This man was just saying thingss he couldn¡¯t understand. But she couldn¡¯t let this go. This marriage, she was determined to save at all cost. So, she said, ¡°Your, your house, how do I know about it? Where is it? Anything. You did not say anything!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y innocent! I did everything I could to get you toe and stay in my estate before I left for the army. When I die, you were supposed to inherit the estate that I was managing! The duke¡¯s daughter may have no concern to me, but it was an important asset which you left itpletely unattended.¡± Anger was evident in his face. It didn¡¯t seem like he was faking a lie. He has no reason to deceive her in the first ce anyway. Max could only swallow nervously. ¡°I, uh, I didn¡¯t know¡­Not a bit¡­.¡± ¡°My men said you refused to leave.¡± He spoke bitterly to which Max bowed her head in shame. ¡°Don¡¯t bother acting sorry so suddenly. I¡¯ve known what you think of me for thest three years.¡± Riftan had always been aware of how everyone looked down on his status¡ªa knight in the mercy of his superiors. And he was convinced that Maximillian felt just the same towards him. ¡°Darn it, why are you suddenly talking this time? Do you think I¡¯ll beat you up if you don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I am sorry. I really, really didn¡¯t know. When I woke up after our night to-together, you¡¯re already gone. I, uh, I didn¡¯t hear any parting words from you.¡± Riftan squinted his eyes at her; trying with all his might to see if she was indeed telling the truth. All the while, like amb to be ughtered, Max waited for his next words; her heart beating rapidly against her chest. At the next moment, much to her surprise, the man spat out in a slightly softened tone. ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t instruct you, you should have left for my estate. It is the natural duty of a married woman to spearhead her husband¡¯s house. This marriage might seem so small to you, but to me, it isn¡¯t.¡± Max found no possible contradiction to what he said. Though she did not treat their marriage as trivial as what he was insinuating, it was true that she didn¡¯t take it so seriously and had only wanted to follow her father¡¯s orders. Howe he took the marriage at heart? Their marriage was, after all, only an inevitable ¡®sacrifice¡¯ for the sake of the Cross family. ¡°What if you were pregnant?¡± ¡°Pregnant?!¡± Max, who was lost in her own thoughts, looked up at him nervously. ¡°That night, I certainly fulfilled my duty enough. Isn¡¯t pregnancy a possible story?¡± The sarcasm that dripped from his mouth drained all colors from her face. Their intimate moment remained a painful and shameful memory to her. Even though she knew that the deed was for the purpose of establishing their marriage, she still felt uneasy whenever the memories of that night resurfaced to her mind. But he was making such light remarks as if it were no big deal to him! Max trembled in fear. However, her sudden change of demeanor didn¡¯t escape Riftan¡¯s notice, and he once again, felt agitated at her reaction. He struck the wall with a loud bang. ¡°Darn it, don¡¯t look like that! Like it¡¯s horrible to have my child!¡± Max could only shiver in fear at his outburst. In the next second, far from his previous disy of ire, Riftan assumed a calm state and became eerily silent¡­ With quick movements, he suddenly put his hand on the carriage door, using it as a leverage, and jumped out of the running vehicle. Max screamed in surprise. ¡°Sir! An ogre has been sighted!¡± one of his men cried from outside. Chapter 10: Damsel in Distress (2) Chapter 10 ¨C Damsel in Distress (2) ¡°I know! Put the shield around the carriage, now!¡± After giving orders to someone, he looked back at her and cried sharply. ¡°Nevere out of the carriage!¡± Then, he roughly closed the carriage door without waiting her answer. At that same moment, a deafening roar shook the earth¡­ Maximillian covered her ears in defense to the monstrous sound. Every time the earth shook, the carriage wobbled under her feet. In a terrible shock and fear, she crouched to the floor and didn¡¯t dare look out the window. Recently, she heard vaguely that there were frequent sightings of monsters near her home, but it¡¯s been less than an hour since she left her father¡¯s castle. She closed her eyes tightly, her whole body trembling terribly. ¡°Make it stop!¡± She swallowed a sob. The carriage shook violently at the end of someone¡¯s cry. Then came the roars of beasts and shouts of knights which almost sounded inhumane and barbaric to her ears. Overwhelmed by the sudden shift in events, she buried her face deep in her bulbous skirt. Around her, continuous dull sounds that seemed to collide with something resonated. ¡®What could that be?¡¯ Hesitantly, she raised her head slowly in fear that of hitting carriage ceiling and was greeted with a sight that would surely haunt her for life¡ªhuge, bloodshot, green eyes were staring at her from the window. In reflex, she screamed and stood close to the other side. But it was toote¡­ Her small body flipped in the air, her world turning upside down as the carriage lost its bnce. She screamed at the top of her lungs and tried to reach the opposite carriage wall where the door was located¡­ but just couldn¡¯t. Then, the vehicle jolted to the opposite direction and Max was flung towards the now wide-open door. And in no time, she found herself kissing the ground; the rocks digging in her skin. In the face of danger, Max became ghastly pale, thoroughly shaken of being out of her safe haven. With little strength she could muster, she scrambled back up to the carriage, but her legs seemed to not work¡ªher body, overwhelmed by the turn of events, became weak and numb. She looked around for help. But everyone was busy fighting the gray giants. Eventually, she crawled on her knees and tried to climb up the carriage on her own. As she did so, one ogre caught sight of her and started creeping nearer the damsel in distress. Heavy foot thumping became louder and clearer¡­. Upon realization, Max screamed out loud, her throat hurt. This scream added fuel to the fire as the giant started advancing faster. Before the monster could reach her, a sh of light shed across her eyes and the giant¡¯s body fell to the ground in a loud, earth-shattering thud. ¡°Madam! Get inside now! There¡¯s a shield here where it¡¯s safe!¡± She looked back abruptly on her shoulder and saw a man of slender build, calling her attention. ¡°This is an ogre from the mountain. Don¡¯t worry, nothing wrong will happen to Lord Calypse. Stay inside!¡± ¡°Oh, I, I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean toe out¡­.¡± Max groaned out in panic. Riftan¡¯s order to not toe out of the carriage echoed in her mind. She didn¡¯t mean to disturb the men at all. ¡°Madam! Go inside! Please!¡± The man broke off to his gibberish. She wanted to tell him what happened but, it was not the time to be making excuses. Instead, she willed herself to climb up the carriage with a wobbly gait¡ªwhen she heard another thud. Unconsciously turning her head to the source of sound, Max saw blood sprouting from the gushing cut at the giant¡¯s upper body which spurted blood like a fountain. Her stomach, which had been strained for the past few days, twisted painfully. She tried to hold back the bile rising up her throat but to no avail, she ended up emptying her stomach to the ground unabashedly. The enormity of the sight she had just seen making her vomit on the very spot she stood. ¡°Madam Calypse!¡± The man shouted in surprise. She wed at her neck desperately; her eyes welling up tears in pain. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Gasping for breath, she tried to findfort at the touch on her back, but the nausea that started once was hard to stop. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A familiar voice reached her ears. Max raised her head at the startled voice of Riftan. He stood by the giant¡¯s body, looking at her worriedly. Instinctively, Max crept backwards, the bloodied appearance of her husband frightening her. As he strode closer, dark red spots of blood taints the ground his feet touches. The sharp sword which shone blue was now scarlet red, and the silver-white armor became ink dark with thick, ck blood of the giant all over it. He looked as horrible as a lion in hell. Max backed off, lost her bnce and stumbled towards the carriage wall. In her sight, his figure shook like a hazy dream and soon became strangely distorted. She felt dizzy. Slowly, everything was devoured by darkness, and the sounds surrounding her faded away. And before she knew it, she sank deep into unconsciousness. Chapter 11: The Duke of Croix (1) Chapter 11 ¨C The Duke of Croix (1) The fall of the Roem Empire, which seized power over the West territory and soon, controlled all the way to the South, has brought an era of emperors to the continent. The empire was torn into seven pieces: Whedon, Balto, Dristan, Osiria, Suikan, Arech and Libadon. Emperors from each country struggled to gain the loyalty of the service members to protect their territory. The nobles had to strive to have more knights and wizards of their own ord. Maximilian¡¯s father, Duke of Croix, was no exception. The first Duke of Croix was one of the emperors of Whedon who seeded in taking over Okto, a richnd of Dristan, formerly owned by royal family members of the Roem Empire. The Duke of Croix fought dozens of wars across generations to get his hands on a vast granary and tens of thousands of serfs, whom he could very well take advantage of, in thend he seized. Then, 30 years ago, the seven countries signed a cease-fire agreement to counter the exponential increase in lynching*, putting pressure on the duke to return the stolennd to Dristan. The Duke of Croix, who already lost about half of his territory, opened his eyes to every solution and soon, found one. *T/N: Lynching is the act of extrajudicial killing or administering punishment by death without trial. It was to marry a nobledy from the Roem family to gain the legitimacy of hisnd control. He found a Roem virgin and seeded in marrying her. She was Aryan Roem Gorta. At the time of their marriage, the Duke of Croix was very pleased with his marriage. Aryan was a chaste maiden with beautiful features, obedient, gentle, and, above all, she was a direct descendant of the royal family, who once ruled the entire continent. Hence, the Duke, who was freed from thend dispute by marrying her, was deeply contented. He couldn¡¯t ask for a more suitable match. But not long after, he was faced with just another problem. It was the issue of sessors. Like all noble men, the Duke of Croix was also fiercely longing for his heir to inherit his title, vast territory, and his precious castle of Croix. But for almost six years into marriage, Aryan remained fruitless, much to his disappointment. Multiple times did she get pregnant, and multiple time was the couple devastated with the miscarriages that followed. Under such circumstances, the Duke¡¯s anxiety was beyond description. Although he has made every effort to secure a healthy heir to his wealth, he had experienced only frustration for ten lengthy years. Finally, a healthy child was born, perhaps because of his devotion to God, or so what he imed. Unfortunately, the baby was a girl. The despondency felt by the Duke when he found out about it was immeasurable. By the time the baby was three or four years old, he was filled with rage. The useless girl couldn¡¯t even be on a horseback! By the time his daughter grew up, he gave up the slightest hope that she would marry to one of the bachelors of the royal family of Whedon and get a sessor in between. Yet, his daughter had a problem with her speech¡ªa trait he feared would be inherited by her son. A disabled man could not be counted as heir to the Croix family. He firmly believed that only a healthy boy with no faults would protect his family¡¯s honor. However, Aryan was unable to give birth to a son until herst breath. She died of exhaustion andplications due to her frequent miscarriages. The Duke, who was desperate of a sessor, immediately greeted a new bride among Aryan¡¯s cousins. Yet, odds remained against him, for after a short time, his second wife died of a disease leaving him another daughter. Not only that, rumors that the Croix family was cursed, hence causing his wives¡¯ early demise started to spread in the continent. This made the Roem family refused to him another bride. In the long run, the Duke of Croix had no choice but to put all his hopes and expectations on his second daughter, Rosetta Croix. Fortunately, Rosetta, unlike her first daughter Maximilian, had beautiful features, wit and outstanding skills. If she was married to a reputable family and produce an heir, she could retain control over his vast territory while continuing the superior lineage of the Croix family. To achieve that end, the Duke spared no pains. Excellent tutors, hundreds of servants, beautiful clothes, jewelry¡­ He gave whatever Rosetta wanted, anything to make her the most perfect bride in Whedon. While he gave extra pampering to his younger daughter, he couldn¡¯t afford to bat an eye towards his first daughter, who was not all useful. Hence, Maximilian was always on the back burner. No, it would have been better if he had just treated her as a total stranger. But this was not entirely the case. Chapter 12: The Duke of Croix (2) Chapter 12 ¨C The Duke of Croix (2) From some point on, he came to regard the existence of his first daughter, Maximilian, as an eyesore. In the aristocratic society, many families were reluctant to associate with cursed people. There were even some people who refused to get close to any member of the Croix family, fearing that they too would be cursed just by being within a close proximity. In fact, eligible men refused to marry Rosetta, thinking they may be born with a defective child. This issue drove the duke to anger¡ªand incorrigible resentment. He even thought that he would die out of frustration! For the first time in his life, he suffered this massive setback. For the first time in his life, he had a useless daughter who always seeded in bringing shame and frustration to the family. Alongside the child¡¯s growth into womanhood, his anger also grew paramount. And he projected his frustrations on her without mercy. Hitting her flesh until it swells to teach her manners, shaming her in front of others for spilling her porridge clumsily, the Duke never forgave even the slightest fault. Her imperfection was the imperfection of the family. They had to be extra cautious with their actions and do all means to uplift their reputation. All of these became the fault of the immature Maximilian. And through this belief, his father¡¯s actions were justified. She¡¯s a w that couldn¡¯t be fixed. Her existence, nothing but a mistake. Everyone believed that the family was better off without her¡ªthat she should have not been born in the first ce. Maximilian grew up hearing all of these in her entire life. A stuttering block of the family. A disgrace. A foolish and shabby girl. A timid mouse. Her father never called her by her name. With her father¡¯s beating, underneath his disdainful gaze, her character crumpled to pieces. Resigned to her heart, she sumbed to the judgments hurled at her, and slowly embodied the Maximilian that no one wanted. ¡°Max! Wake up!¡± She opened her eyes to quite a stirring¡ªa strong hand shaking her shoulders. From under his nose, Riftan¡¯s dark eyes stared down at her. She nced back nkly, unable to grasp the situation quickly. But by the moment he swept the hair on her forehead behind her ears, Max immediately came to her senses. The intimate action pulling her from her stupor. She hurried to her feet and looked around. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± ¡°This is an inn. Remember when we were in a carriage and attacked by Ogres? You fainted. While you were unconscious, we slipped through the forest and stumbled on this vige nearby the roads.¡± He answered with a big pillow in his hand, which he stuffed behind Max so she could sit uprightfortably. She buried herself in the cushion and looked up at him with a puzzled look. He poured water into the bowl on the table. ¡°Drink. You kept sweating. You have to replenish the water in your body.¡± When Max only stared dumbfoundedly at the water, he frowned and hurried. ¡°Do you think that I put poison in this? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Drink quickly.¡± She took the bowl right away and drank its contents. Her stomach felt a little nauseous when the lukewarm water got into her insides. The man raised one eyebrow when he put the bowl down with a frown. ¡°Are you ufortable with anything?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± ¡°Let me know if you feel any pain. I¡¯ll call in a physician.¡± ¡°No. I feel fine.¡± The man soon walked toward the table with a bowl of water. When he stepped back away from her sight, she was able to see the whole view of the room; the ce no longer obscured by his body. It was a shabby room. The walls and floor were all made of wood, and the only thing in the fairly spacious chamber was a bed, a table, and a couple of rickety chairs. Above her, she studied the ceiling carefully, in case there was a spider. Surely, a spider¡¯s web glistened faintly within the reach of light. Fortunately, the bed was clean. Max tentatively sniffed the soft nkets which smelled like mildew, and suddenly frowned. Something feels strange. She slipped her hand inside the thick nkets which covered her legs. Reaching beneath, she felt her smooth bare legs. Only then did she realize that she was wearing a man¡¯s tunic. She was not even wearing any underwear. ¡°This is, oh my¡­ my clothes¡­.¡± Riftan, who was immersed in arranging the towels, picked the bowl of water from the table, nced at her once and replied nonchntly. He found the matter insignificant. ¡°I took it off. You threw up and got dirtied. What you are wearing is my tunic. In haste, we failed to bring with us your suit of clothes, so I had to dress you with my spare.¡± She pouted like a carp; unable to figure out whether she should be dumbfounded or shocked at the fact that he undressed her while she was unconscious. ¡°You¡¯ve been unconscious all day and haven¡¯t eaten. I should go out and fetch you some food.¡± As soon as the man went out the door with a grave look on his face, Max quickly rummaged for something to wear underneath. Nothing in the room that could be presumed as a suitcase was found. Instead, there was only the armor he had taken off casually piled by the bed. While she determinedly searched for something she could use, the nket was peeled off from her body, therefore exposing some of her skin. In cue, the door rattled and Riftan¡¯s head bobbed in as he returned to the room to check on her. Like a deer caught in the headlights, she looked at him with stunned, round eyes and hurriedly grabbed the nket tightly, wrapping it around her body once more. ¡°It¡¯s no use trying to hide it now. I saw it all while wiping your body.¡± ¡°You¡­ cleaned me up yourself?!¡± Chapter 13: Torn Apart (1) Chapter 13 ¨C Torn Apart (1) When asked back in a shrill voice, his lips cynically twisted into a sneer. ¡°I told you, you¡¯re my wife. We consummated three years ago. Why are you acting like that?¡± Max glowed red from her head to toe. Ashamed, her face became visibly hot at once, her hands fidgeting at her sides. ¡°Darn it, do not freak out, I just changed your clothes! You should have fainted on the night of our wedding if you abhorred the very thought of me touching you!¡± Her shoulders shook; her mind in a terrible shamble. Gravely enraged, Riftan spewed out these words, ¡°A corrupted noblewoman is frustrated, losing her mind even, by things as trivial as this!¡± Max blushed and muttered in a muted voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her apology was returned by his silence. After a short moment, Max heard the hinges of a closing door as Riftan went out to the road. And, she found herself alone with only the cold walls of the shabby room to keep herpany. She shook her head in disappointment. How many times have she made him upset today? An entire had yet to pass since they had reunited hours ago. Is it okay to let him be like this? Max bit her lip nervously. Riftan now treats her as a wife, but there was no guarantee that this wouldst. ¡®No, it was only a matter of time before hees to his senses.¡¯ The very thought of a divorce haunted her, making her loathe herself even more. ¡®What if he realizes that I¡¯m useless? He¡¯ll certainly take a harsher attitude towards me.¡¯ Riftan was a knight who, out of scratch, made a name for himself. Now that he was already with a high position, he would naturally be invited to numerous social gatherings and banquets in the future. At this thought, Max sighed, thoroughly disheartened. She knew well that she was not the kind of wife a husband would want to boast around. ¡®I¡¯m sure he will realize this soon enough and start abusing me¡­ just like my father. Why don¡¯t I just go home and ask for my father¡¯s mercy before it happens?¡¯ She recalled him standing tall, clutching his sword by its hilt. He cut a monster three times his size in one stroke. It was terrible to imagine what would happen if he wielded a whip against her. This possible scenario made her squirm anxiously. ¡®But¡­ he hasn¡¯t hit me yet.¡¯ She gathered her brows at this musing. He didn¡¯t raise his hand against her even after bing irritated with her many times. Maybe he is not as cruel as his father. On a second note, they have just been reunited. There was no telling what will happen next. She was pondering on these possibilities when she heard a rattle of the door. Riftan came back to the room with a tray of steaming bread and soup. ¡°It¡¯s a bread made of vegetable soup and barley. Try to eat before going back to sleep. We¡¯re going to stay at this inn tonight and leave tomorrow as soon as the sunes up.¡± He put the tray down on the bedside shelf and said so. Max blinked her eyes. He went out in a rage and came back with food as if nothing had happened. This man is¡­ unpredictable. ¡°What are you idling about? Eat it before it gets cold.¡± In haste, she took the bowl of soup and a wooden spoon in her hand. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll eat well¡­.¡± Max stirred the soup, blew it, and put it in her mouth. It was a little hot, but it wasn¡¯t enough to leave blisters on her tongue. Truthfully, she didn¡¯t have much appetite, but still, she managed to push in a few spoonfuls of the savory soup, which made her feel a bit better. After a minute, she put down her spoon and couldn¡¯t help but nce at the man. He was dragging a chair by the bed and started grooming his sword. He looked two or three years younger than his actual age. ¡°¡­What are you looking at? Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Does the back of his head have eyes? She blushed at the thought of him catching her peeking. ¡°I¡ªI want to change¡­¡± Looking around, she added, ¡°I don¡¯t see my clothes anywhere.¡± He turned around as he hesitated to open his mouth, stirring the soup with a spoon. ¡°Now that it¡¯ste, just go to bed. I¡¯ll buy you a new one tomorrow.¡± ¡°My, my clothes¡­.¡± ¡°I asked the maid who works at this inn to wash it.¡± He spoke calmly; the reflection of his face visible in the sword he was cleaning so thoroughly. She hesitated for a long time and then spoke again. ¡°My¡­ underwear. Give it back.¡± At that moment, the man¡¯s face became incredibly red. He rubbed his palms roughly around his mouth, and then answered calmly. ¡°It¡¯s torn apart.¡± Chapter 14: Torn Apart (2) Chapter 14 ¨C Torn Apart (2) ¡°What?¡± ¡°I stripped it off of you and had torn it in the process.¡±. ¡°Oh¡­uh, how? Did you, uh, take it off?¡± Max could not help but ask back. The question sounded a little disconcerting to him. Turning his seat around, he faced her and watched her figure clutch the sheet like a shield, and then shouted. ¡°What am I supposed to do? You couldn¡¯t breathe because¨Cyou were turning blue even, due to your drawers. I was trying to untie the knot because the terrible underwear was too tight! No matter how hard I tried, the knot didn¡¯te loose, so I ripped it off! Damn it. I didn¡¯t even know it could be taken up and down!¡± Maximilian¡¯s face reddened to the point of steaming. She was mortified to death, thinking that he had seen her underwear¡ªand the flesh beneath it. Her nanny forcibly made her wear tight drawers in her husband¡¯s absence. She said it would keep her chaste. Max was forced to wear that horrible thing on her body, but she never dreamed that someone would see it. As she sped her face in an impulse to jump out of the window immediately, Riftan said with a small sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a new underwear tomorrow, so don¡¯t look like that. Or do you want me to lend you mine?¡± ¡°Oh, no! It¡¯s okay¡­.¡± Max shook her head fervently. She didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of wearing other person¡¯s underwear, or a man¡¯s for that matter. Besides, wearing only one loose-fitting men¡¯s tunic already made her feel unease. Riftan scanned her eyes and watched her rummage through the soup with her spoon. ¡°When will you finish stirring that? Hurry up and eat. You didn¡¯t even touch the bread.¡± She popped a few more spoonfuls into her mouth. However, the short mouth of her original body and her bulging stomach made her lose her appetite soon. She didn¡¯t even think of touching the hard bread, only swallowing a little more soup, and then putting the bowl aside. ¡°What? You haven¡¯t eaten half of it,¡± Riftan started. ¡°I have no appetite, so¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on me. You can¡¯t dream of luxurious food until we get home. Even if it doesn¡¯t suit your taste, your body won¡¯t hold out if you don¡¯t tolerate it.¡± Max blushed at the sound of him akin to admonishing a spoiled child. ¡°Or are you going to be so picky and annoying throughout the journey?¡± He added irritably. ¡°I¡­I¡¯ll have¡­¡± She ended up having a few more sips but was so sick that she couldn¡¯t eat anymore. The man made a disjointed expression when she put the spoon down. Fortunately, however, instead of forcing her to eat more, he sighed and epted the tray with the bowl. ¡°You are going to go bald if you keep being picky.¡± He clicked his tongue and turned around. Max shrugged her shoulders, unable to adapt to his constantly changing mood like unreliable weather. He seemed kind enough to take care of her meal, but then he would quickly get angry the next moment. ¡®Are my words and actions so incriminating?¡¯ She felt that inside, he may already be regretting bringing her with him. ¡®Why would he¡­.¡¯ Some negative and servile thoughts filled her head. Max, who looked at his eyes, couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and uttered the question on impulse. ¡°Well, why, uh, why are you taking me away?¡± ¡°What?¡± The man, who was going out with the bowl, paused and looked back at her. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Well, I, uh, against me, getting married¡­ Ha, ha, you did it because you wanted to do it. Oh, you didn¡¯t¡­Why are you taking me with you? I¡ªI don¡¯t understand¡­¡± His face became visibly stiff. She swallowed hard. It was hard to tell whether the stuttering was causing a bad impression on him or her own question was upsetting. Although filled with hesitancy, she still added, ¡°In the first ce¡­ we¡¯re, uh, no¡­ You and I are both rich married couples, you¡¯re too better for me¡­ we barely know each other¡­ that and¡­ you, you¡¯re taking me somewhere, b-but¡­ as much as you like..¡± ¡°Shut the bullshit!¡± Riftan let out a sudden roar, staring furiously at her. Heid down the tray and strode back to the bed. ¡°Be honest! Don¡¯t you want toe with me?!¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s not what it is, it¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not! Although it¡¯s not huge as your father¡¯s, my castle is big enough for a little girl like you to live! Damn it, I have enough money. If you¡¯re worried that you won¡¯t be able to live in luxury like you used to, cut it out!¡± She shrank like a child scolded. Why on earth does he think she worries about living like royalty when she has lived a poor life all along at her father¡¯s castle? She answered in a flurry of words and desperately waved her hands, as if the mere action would erase her former statements. ¡°No! That sort of thing doesn¡¯t worry me. It¡¯s just¡­ why, w-why are you taking me? I¡¯m only curious¡­¡± ¡°Naturally, you are my wife! Our marriage is real, officially recognized by the church! It¡¯s onlymon sense to take you to my house! You did wrong by living at your father¡¯s house even after you got married!¡± ¡°Ha, but¡­ I though you would want a divorce¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± He sped his hands sternly on her shoulders. Max turned blue like a mouse in front of a snake. The anger on his face suffocated her. Perhaps this was where violence, one stemmed from the impatience of understanding a stutter, would ensue. She closed her eyes with fear, as she always did when the Duke of Cross beat her. But no matter how long she waited, pain did note. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted with his dark orbs ring fiercely at her. His hands, holding on to her shoulders, were trembling faintly, as he managed to control his simmering anger. ¡°Divorce? You want to divorce me now?¡± Chapter 15: Under the Sheets (1) Chapter 15 ¨C Under the Sheets (1) ¡°Oh, no¡­ That¡¯s not¡­.¡± ¡°If not, what the hell is it? Is there someone else?¡± It took a while for Max to grasp the meaning behind his words. For a few moments, the stupefied her just stared into his burning eyes. Unfortunately, her silence was misconstrued, Riftan got the wrong idea. With snarl in his tone, he spoke contemptuously. ¡°There I was battling to death, and here you are with another man?¡± ¡°Oh, oh, no! Oh, I didn¡¯t!¡± Her answer in almost a crawling hesitation, slightly robbed him of his strength. Still unconvinced, he fiercely rammed his queries into her. ¡°Then why on earth are you talking about divorce?!¡± ¡°When you came back, I¡­ I thought you would ask for a divorce and marry her¡­ So¡­¡± ¡°Her?¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, he added sharply, hoping he¡¯d managed toprehend her ramblings. ¡°Agnes?¡± At the mention of the name, Max¡¯s eyes widened. A forlorn nod was the only response she could manage. But the man before her, with a dead-pan face, spat out a volley of curses and roughly rubbed his head, seemingly miffed. ¡°A bunch of foolish humans spreading a bunch of useless rumors.¡± He muttered to himself. He walked over and sat on her bed. After a brief moment, he casually and with ease, put her on hisp. His abrupt actions caught Maximillian by surprise; reflexively, she fluttered her legs to a close. Riftan gently and affectionately held her face in both his hands and drew closer. The next thing that a muddled Max felt was his moist tongue licking the moisture from her eyes. Hershes fluttered and she closed her eyes. He was in no rush, brushing away those tears, one drop at a time. His hot breath tickled her cheeks, her lips quivered in response, pulse raced. Instinctively, she let out a soft whimper. Sensing her wary and shaken form, Riftan breathed out a deep sigh and wound an arm around her waist. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve heard, but I turned down the offer.¡± ¡°You refused?¡± Her eyes opened wide with astonishment; his voice scaled up a note. ¡°You bet! Do you think I would ept such a crazy offer?¡± What does he mean ¡®crazy offer¡¯?! How is it crazy to offer a beautiful princess to a warrior who saved the world?! ¡°Who in a sane mind would propose a marriage to a married man in the first ce? When I heard that story, I thought this king was crazy.¡± ¡°Ha, but¡­.¡± ¡°If anyone changes his sacred vows before God, I¡¯ll castrate him with my own hands. How could you think I would do such an hical thing?¡± Is he serious? She looked up at him, astonished and embarrassed at the same time. She had often heard that knights valued faith, but did this man have faith in chivalry too? He kicked away the golden chance to be a part of a royal family for a forced marriage with her! Marrying a royalty would have given him a new title, a royal honor and a huge dowry. And it didn¡¯t end at just that. His son would naturally have the right to the throne. Hence, it was only natural that his wife, who could not give him what Agnes could, surmised his decision as pure madness. This guy¡­¡­ he¡¯s out of his mind. Only then did she realize that this man was taking their vows seriously and had every intention to honor it. Most of all, he was without an ulterior motive. In his words, he was only taking her because he considered her as his wife. Max floundered in the shock and clenched her teeth in disbelief. ¡°Ha, but¡­.¡± Is this person sane? Perhaps, he knows not what he¡¯s missed. Forgetting her current situation, as she was deeply engaged in their conversation, she daringly countered. ¡°Well, really¡­ But, uh, you know, it¡¯s okay. Oh, Agnes, is a very, very beautiful woman, rich woman.¡± ¡°Have you ever met Agnes?¡± She flinched. Was she too hasty in calling his refusal in a single stroke madness? ¡°In person, uh, I¡¯ve never met her, but¡­¡± ¡°How do you know if she¡¯s beautiful or not? I don¡¯t like a mad woman¡ªa colt* tailing after me.¡± *T/N: Colt is a young rookie. Ah, is it okay to talk about the royal family as such? Max looked up at him, her face full of puzzlement. Just then Riftan suddenly raised his hand, she was taken aback, nevertheless still waited for his hand to strike. But it did not, instead the thumb wiped away the remnant tears off her cheeks. ¡°Forget that ridiculous rumor. In the first ce, life in the pce does not suit me. I don¡¯t want to live in the princess¡¯ big-ass ce.¡± ¡°Ha, but¡­.¡± ¡°Enough with that but! Are the rumors just an excuse and you¡¯re really unhappy with this marriage?¡± A dangerous glint shone in the man¡¯s eyes. She shook her head hurriedly, his face straightened out again. ¡°That¡¯s enough already. If you bring up this nonsense again, I won¡¯t tolerate it the next time.¡± She widened her eyes. ¡®You put up with it? What are you talking about?¡¯ While she was grumbling to herself, she suddenly felt the man¡¯s hand touch the small of her back, it gradually started to explore. Instinctively, she stiffened. His hand slowly made its way down and dug under the sheets that covered her. Chapter 16: Under the Sheets (2) Chapter 16 ¨C Under the Sheets (2) Only then did Max realize again that she was wearing only a thin piece of clothing around her otherwise naked body. She trembled, not from the cold that nketed the chamber, but from his heated gaze solely trained upon her. Lifting her hips slightly, he pulled out the sheets from beneath and carelessly tossed them to the floor. Max hurriedly pulled the tunic down and struggled to cover her legs. To no avail, he simply pushed up the hem of her dress and grabbed her chest in a way that would foil her effort in dismissing his actions. She let out a high-pitched scream. ¡°Ick!¡± The feeling of hot, rough hands touching her soft skin was indescribably quaint and intense. ¡°Uh, uh, uh¡­.¡± ¡°Stop that noise. You don¡¯t even know your husband¡¯s name, do you?¡± The man who was rubbing his nose against the delicate skin of her neck raised his head and gave a dissatisfied look. Max just blinked her eyes like an owl. She quivered, and through the corners of her eyes saw his head descend. In a split second, Riftan kissed her, his lips unbelievably hot and soft; a stark contrast to the harsh and violent words he uttered. ¡°Don¡¯t be so embarrassed. Our marriage wasn¡¯t normal, as you said, but it was inevitable. Now you have to get used to me.¡± A hot, hard finger swept the hair over her forehead. The unexpected soft action embarrassed her. His lips constantly touched her cheeks, temples and earlobe. Stony thighs wriggled under her hips while his hot breath taunted her neck. He grabbed the hem of her dress, Max closed her eyes. She had already experienced this and knew what was to follow. More than anything else, she was aware of how painful it would be. Sensing her taut body, he gave a small sigh. ¡°Relieve the tension, it will only hurt you.¡± ¡°Ha, but¡­.¡± ¡°This is not our first time.¡± The man who had been biting the lower part of her neck, hesitated for a moment and asked. ¡°¡­No?¡± Her lips drew out a tight smile as she looked into his eyes. Max couldn¡¯t bring herself to say no. After all, Riftan refused to seal his rtionship with the royal family to keep his marriage vows. As such, how could she refuse her husband in the bedroom? Shaking her head after much hesitation, Max gave her consent. Not letting any more time slip from his hands, Riftan pushed his tongue deep into her mouth, as if he thirsted, tasting her in every corner. She inadvertently put her hands on his pectoral muscles, her fingers cowered away in surprise at the heavy thumping it emanated. His saliva-soaked lips sprinkled small kisses on the tip of her chin, then slowly descended on her neck, lingering on the vicle for a while. His ragged breaths and the moist feel of his tongue made the hairs on her back stand. ¡°Raise your arms.¡± She raised her arm in a stiff motion and felt him strip her clothes over her head. The cold air nipped at her bare skin and Max covered her chest in a fit of embarrassment¡ªhugging her herself tightly. To make herfortable, Riftan rained kisses on her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll make it as¡­ as smooth as possible.¡± She looked up at him with trembling eyes. The man¡¯s eyes then went down greedily. She followed his gaze and looked down at herself under the light. Round chests, t abdomen, pale, white thighs, and her tender spot in between. She felt more sensitive to the naked sight of his fingers touching her mounds. He yfully bit her vicle and sucked her chest. Max gasped. She could feel his wet tongue draw circles on her skin. The strange sensation sent a thrilling shudder from her neck to her ears. ¡°Hey, hey, wait a minute¡­.¡± ¡°Riftan,¡± he grunted. He sucked her chest painfully, as if he was punishing her. Max gave a small shriek. He released her hands from his hold and let her wrap them around his neck. The heat she felt from his body and the soft texture of his hair made her feel sick to her stomach. ¡°Call me Riftan.¡± ¡°Oh, hey, hey¡­.¡± ¡°Call me,¡± he ordered softly. In a quivering voice, she spoke, ¡°Ri¡­ Riftan.¡± Upon hearing so, his shoulders jerked up and down. The man gruffly muttered his incoherent words, then raised his head and kissed her fiercely. His hot, muscr arms tightened, as if to break her waist. The first passion she experienced, she gasped and unwittingly clung to his neck. A nimble smile gradually rose on her lips. ¡°Yes, hold onto me tightly like that.¡± While he was enthralled by her first smile, he held her head in one hand and kissed her passionately. His other hand gently stroked her lower abdomen and deftly maneuvered between her legs. Aware of his intrusive actions, Max hurriedly squeezed her thighs to a close, but could not stop his hand that had already reached its desired destination. He moved his fingers carefully. At the same time, Max flinched at the sensation of an unmistakable prick against her stomach. Chapter 17: His Adoration for Her (1) Chapter 17 ¨C His Adoration for Her (1) ¡°Beautiful.¡± Riftan stared at her flushed face and whispered in breathless wonder. That alone changed his impression beyond recognition. His sharp eyes thinned, beautifully bent, and his firm lips loosened softly making him look like an innocent boy. He moved his shapely lips over her own lips, and strummed his fingers delicately like a minstrel who yed the flute. The wet sounds that echoed even reddened the Max to her ears. And a strange sensation began to simmer, making her toes curl. Unconsciously trying to evade his hands, he began to exert pressure. ¡°Ah!¡± It felt like shes of sparks from the bottom of her toes flew to the top of her head inside her. Max clung desperately to his shoulder as his thick chest convulsed withughter. ¡°You feel good when I touch this ce, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I, I don¡¯t¡­¡± Suddenly she was struck with panic. Her voice was so strange that she couldn¡¯t think of it as her own. Her heart beating furiously and wracked with an unfamiliar, intense feeling of her limbs weakening, Max buried her lips on his shoulder, desperately swallowing a piercing moan. As the man persistently tormented her, the heat boiled inside her body and swelled beyond her control. Max gasped and buckled underneath him; her stomach felt as if it was melting. ¡°S-stop¡­ oh!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Just keep feeling it.¡± He continued to torture without hesitation. Feel it? What are you even doing? Max¡¯s lips quivered in confusion. But his hands only moved faster and faster. Soon, something bubbled up from below and exploded violently. The pulses of electric shock made her release a scream enough to make one¡¯s hair stand on end. As she tried to escape, he hugged her swaying body. Max trembled helplessly and rubbed her damp forehead against his neck. Her body twisted beyond her consciousness and her legs trembled. She could feel her heartbeat, hear it even. Riftan only drew in a violent breath. ¡°Damn it, I only thought about this. I touch you and you¡¯re all over me¡­ I only wanted to think of this in that hellish ce.¡± He pursed his lips and began to stimte again where she was still trembling in the clouds. She sobbed and shook her head wildly. But she could not escape from it. He traced her earlobes and pushed his finger into her wet entrance, the delicate muscles contracting upon the intrusion of the foreign substance. A low groan instantly came from the lips that were wandering around her ears. ¡°Do you know how soft it is here? How warm it is?¡± His voice gradually turned into a murmur, fingers crawling out, agonizingly slow, and pushed again deeply, filling her to the brim. Although it was a little bit bitter and ufortable, it didn¡¯t hurt as much as she remembered. Did she recall what happened that day because she exaggerated it in her mind too much? She had never experienced a mix of soft, hot and intense sensations together. As she was thinking, her head hazy, Riftan gently rolled the moist flesh with his thumb. He ran his fingers through her depths, and traced his lips down the nape of her neck. Max struggled to get used to the peculiar feeling of ecstasy, as if she had fallen into another world. Yesterday alone, she was so scared and awkward when she allowed him to touch her. Everything was quite unreal. Yet, why can¡¯t she feel bad about it? ¡°Just rx a little bit more¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it hurts¡­¡± ¡°Listen. It won¡¯t hurt when I go in if you do it like this.¡± When I go in. Shocked by the words, she soon turned white as his slow-moving fingers continued their ministration. She squeezed her legs together and breathed hard on his shoulder. But he only whispered passionately, still kissing her temples, forehead and eyelids without rest. ¡°I¡¯ll show you how¡­ Just rx a little bit.¡± She shook her head in confusion and unconsciously grasped the back of his head as he pushed his fingers deeper. She let out a low groan, her eyelids fluttering. ¡°I, I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t¡­ know¡­¡± ¡°Breathe long, breathe¡­ ease down and let it go.¡± She breathed out long as he told her to. Then she felt her body finally rx slowly. He kept his gentle strokes inside her, all the while pressing his lips against her cheeks telling her she did well. ¡°Tighten slowly this time, with all your strength.¡± He pressed a part of her warm walls and rubbed it as if he were trying to tell her where it was. Unintentionally, she curled her bottom and tightened on his fingers. Heughed in mirth again. ¡°I¡¯m going crazy. No. You¡¯re doing great. Try to rx again¡­ Yes, like that.¡± She gasped and rxed, as she had been taught, and when he came in and went out, she tightened on him as if she was holding him back. ¡°Driving me crazy¡­¡± Nothing he said went into her ears as her part carried on the strange exercise he taught. With every second, hot heat gradually rose from inside her body. It came like a slow wave, but the crash came violent. Max legs shook, her back arched and then she felt something explode inside her a second time. Chapter 18: His Adoration for Her (2) Chapter 18 ¨C His Adoration for Her (2) Max pressed her face against his shoulder and waited for the intense feeling to pass. Her hips quivered, something warm trickling down between her legsp ¡°Shh, good job. You did very well.¡± He murmured to her, as if soothing a child. She felt limp on the bed sheets, unable to get out of the peak in the clouds. He quickly threw his clothes over his head and rose from the bed. She was certain it wasn¡¯t the first time she has seen it, but the moment she saw his body shining in the dark so sensibly, a thin shiver broke from her chest. The beauty of the man before her prated her heart. ¡°Hold me.¡± He quickly returned to the bed and prostrated himself on her body. Something began to slowly brush against her thighs and closer to her petals. She sped her arms around his neck, his hot, beating body weighing heavily on her own. Such a strange feeling was prevalent. Is the act now and before truly the same? she thought. The warm length entering her inside still felt ufortable like the first time, but it wasn¡¯t as painful as she remembered. ¡°Just a little more¡­¡± He mumbled, stroking her back. The flickering light at the bedside cast a shadow over his face, where beads of sweat on the man¡¯s forehead flowed down his cheeks like pearls and on the tip of his chin. The beads glistened on his smooth, golden skin ethereally. She unwittingly reached out and touched it and the man¡¯s eyes shook. ¡°Fuck!¡± He sank heavily in one, fluid motion, the audible p of his body against hers catching Max by surprise. Breathless by the sudden pressure, she twisted and tightened around him. A painful groan came out of his mouth. ¡°Fuck¡­ don¡¯t give me strength.¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She looked up at him with eyes to the point of tearing. She felt like a y dough being molded to him, being fitted into his shape as she tried to wriggle around. Was it even eptable to feel someone this close? Their rough breathing, heavy heartbeats, searing temperatures of their damp skin¡­ she couldn¡¯t tell which was his and which was hers. The only thing Max felt in that moment was as if his and her body were being morphed into one. ¡°I feel so good¡­¡± Riftan groaned as he drew closer, deeper down her moist walls, the sweat drops on his shoulders dribbling down his chest and unto her body. Max looked up with trembling eyes at his scary, hardened face. At first nce, she saw the creases of his brows as if bearing pain and she could only think, is it really good? ¡°F-feel good?¡± When the question went out of her lips, the man¡¯s mouth twisted intoughter. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m holding on to a woman doing this until I pass out today?¡± He grasped her hip, stretching her legs for better ess and moved forward forcefully. As the feeling of a hot, pulsating, mass of flesh slithered down again inside, she uttered a painful sound, her mouth wide open. Whenever his body went out, she breathed, and when he pushed back again, she tried to remain calm. Riftan murmured in a strained voice, exhaling a short breath. ¡°I¡¯m like a lunatic¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to do this. I was just going to let you rest. But you in your underwear¡­ oh!¡± His hard stomach weighed down on her heavily, as their bodies found intimate contact between other. Hot flesh against flesh. Max¡¯s fingernails had long found their way on his back to scratch his skin in an unconscious effort to stifle the pleasure within. ¡°I, too, I¡¯m trying to endure¡­ I did¡­¡± What he was saying was no longer passed through her ears. Her body was the captain of her feelings. His gestures the rough waves be more unraveling, harsher, pushing her sideways. It hade to the point it impossible for her to know when she should rx and renew her strength. Her body turned stiff with her inability to keep up with his mercurial movements. He picked up speed, driving her to the point of no return, and winded Max¡¯s legs to tremble beneath him. ¡°Maxi¡­¡± he purred, her eyes were barely opened as she peered up at him. As she felt his big hand sp her cheek, she thought, why are you calling me that way? Her heart skipping a beat at the solemness on his face. For a moment, he felt like a close confidant. The man wrapped his hands around her face and kissed her frantically as their bodies molded to one. She felt his huge body shaking like a stallion, stiffening. A man who couldn¡¯t take it anymore, yet, was still persistent to have more. As he reached his peak, his hold on her legs bing more forceful with his ravenous thrusts, delicious warmth suddenly filled her lower region. Tingles traveled from all over her body¨Ca sensation she had experienced a second time but still not finding it quite familiar. Drowned in a daze of ecstasy, her fists unwittingly weaken, turning to an embrace on his sweaty back as he drooped over her with his raspy breath. She could feel his heart throb as fast as hers against her skin. ¡°Fuck¡­ I tried not to be rough this time¡­¡± He gasped and muttered, but she could barely lift her eyelids to look at him. The ck eyes glowed like a curious beast in the dark as he dribbled small kisses on her shoulders and neck. He lingered inside her, unwilling to part their bodies that had be one. Chapter 19: Tender Touch of a Strange Man (1) Chapter 19 ¨C Tender Touch of a Strange Man (1) ¡°Did it hurt?¡± Max wanted to tell it was some unpleasantness in the experience, but she shook her head instead. He breathed a sigh of relief and pressed his lips near her temple and this intimate action somehow filled her heart. It was a feeling she didn¡¯t expect. Formerly, she anticipated akin to feeling robbed and trampled¡­ something painful, empty, cold and bitter would be waiting. ¡°Am I heavy? Wait a minute.¡± Riftan propped himself up and slowly pulled his manhood out. Max suddenly felt something trickle down from the inside. He held her back as she tried to squeeze her leg in reflex. ¡°Ri-riftan¡­!¡± ¡°Stay still. You¡¯re tired, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll wipe it for you.¡± Riftan pulled the basin that had been set aside and squeezed the towel wet with the water with it. With the cold cloth, he gently wiped the area meticulously. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡± ¡°Oh, oh, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Doesn¡¯t it hurt? Max glowed red like a freshly boiled sausage. However, the man insensitive to her thoughts only brushed the ce carefully and then wiped his lower body. She didn¡¯t dare look at him, quickly picking up the sheets to cover herself with it. Riftan smiled at the sight. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it soon.¡± Then he flopped down beside her. Max¡¯s legs trembled from surprise. Riftanid so casually in the middle of a spacious bed, even drawing her near with one arm andying her on top of himself. The feeling of their sweaty skin rubbing made Max feel awkward at the tacky touch. ¡°Ri¡­ Riftan¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t struggle unless you want to do it one more time.¡± The remark was not a mere threat, as the lump of flesh that touched her lower abdomen had swollen up again. She froze. With a nonchnt face, Riftan pushed one arm under her head and pulled the sheets up over their joined bodies. Then his eyes slowly drifted shut, as he rested his palm along her wavy locks. Only then Max realized that he was nning to sleep with her. ¡°Ri-riftan¡­¡± ¡°Why do you keep calling me?¡± Riftan seemed too natural sleeping with her naked. Her eyes darted to the side; eventually, she swallowed up what she wanted to say and murmured in, ¡°Go-good night¡­¡± Silence came as her reply, as if Riftan had already fallen asleep. She listened to his pulse patter from his thick neck, and the rhythm made her soon close her eyes along him. *** Something was crushing her chest. Max hesitantly opened her eyes in frustration and soon became bewildered. A tanned, strong forearm blocked her vision halfway. She looked up and saw Riftan¡¯s sleeping figure, his face half buried in her mane. Max instantly turned red at the fresh memories that resurfaced. They were tangled beneath the nket without a stitch of a thread between them. The man¡¯s long legs were intertwined between her legs, and his arms sped her tightly within his embrace as if her body were a pillow. Max had never been passionate to anyone. Not even her own mother had hugged her. Her eyes darted around in unease for a moment, thinking it would be better for her to get dressed before Riftan opens his eyes. If he were to wake up like this¡­ Max sped her face, unable to feel confident looking at him straight. When she remembered her body curling up in his armsst night, she felt so embarrassed that she wanted to jump out of the window. Ady could never react that way. Even the nanny, who had long preached about her duty as the wife, said she should ¡°appropriately¡± respond to her husband¡¯s demands. She sped her fiery cheeks. Last night, the struggling, moaning woman was far from forgotten. What if he thinks she¡¯s someone not pure? A sudden surge of impatience came into her mind. Max carefully slipped out of his arm and looked under the bed. She could never face him at this rate. Dressing up like ady may be too much, but at the very least she thought it would be fitting to escape from her current nakedness. She found a random tangle of clothes in the corner of the room and reached for it urgently. Her eyes burned to them desperately, it was a distance she could reach without having to move. And it was so that she didn¡¯t have the courage to wander around the room naked. Therefore, she stretched out a hand, but suddenly was flipped, falling back. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Max looked back at him with a perplexed look. Riftan, who she thought was dead asleep, was now staring down at her with his onyx eyes. She hurriedly tried to get away from him, but it proved to be an impossible feat. He rolled her nimbly back with one arm around her waist, locking her under him. ¡°Ri-riftan¡­ Oh, it¡¯s morning¡­¡± Chapter 20: Tender Touch of a Strange Man (2) Chapter 20 ¨C Tender Touch of a Strange Man (2) ¡°Yes. It¡¯s morning. I thought I was going to die waiting for you to open your eyes.¡± He pressed his lips on her eyelids as he said this, the strange touch making Max cringe. At her reaction, he grinned and smacked his lips more fervently on her face, her ears, and neck, pouring his tingling kisses like the touch a butterfly. Max reflexively shoved his face away in embarrassment. ¡°Ha, ha, don¡¯t¡­Oh, s-stop now a-and get dressed¡­¡± ¡°No. Do you know how long I¡¯ve been holding it up all night.?¡± The man snorted and held her hand to his lips. His damp tongue licked her finger in a subtle way that still managed to ignite lightning in her senses. She could hear her pulse drum against her ear. He ced her finger deeper into his mouth and gently sucked on it. Never had Max thought that her hand could be such a sensitive area. ¡°Really, if you knew how I feel every time you blush like that, you wouldn¡¯t show me that look, would you?¡± Riftan mumbled, biting her fingertips. She couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and pulled her hand out and hid it in a nket. Then he wriggled his eyebrows and rolled off the sheet. She shrieked and curled into a circle. ¡°Why are you hiding it?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s morning! It¡¯s so bright¡­¡± ¡°So show me. I want to see your body in the light.¡± The man pulled her crouched legs and she cried in surprise. It seemed too unreal that it was only yesterday when she was shivering on the floor in her father¡¯s castle, and now lying naked in bed with a man in broad daylight. Not privy to her thoughts, Riftan gently stroked her shoulders, her chest, waist and sides, then his hand naturally settled between her thighs. Last night¡¯s act brought his fingers to her wet spot out of familiarity. ¡°Maxi, yesterday¡­ it wasn¡¯t bad, was it?¡± ¡°Ri-riftan¡­¡± ¡°No¡­ it felt good, didn¡¯t it?¡± Even if she died, she could not bring herself to answer his words. His fingers skillfully began to move in her secret ce. ¡°I¡­ I loved you to death. Three years ago, I wanted to be with you, not through vindictive measures. You don¡¯t know how hard it was to get out of that bed. Of course, you wanted me to disappear, but¡­.¡± At such an unexpected remark, she forgot her shame and opened her eyes wide. He ced his mouth under her corbone, and she felt him smile against her skin. ¡°It¡¯s the same as it was now. I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t stop with you. Even if you don¡¯t like it¡­ even if you cry¡­¡± He dipped his finger deep and bit her skin lightly. Max reflexively tightened against him with her legs. This prompted a thrilled groan to escape from his lips. ¡°me it on your bad luck to be the wife of a man like me.¡± What on earth could he mean? Inparison, her side felt far unfortunate in many ways. Her father went so far as to insinuate that she was someone easily receable even in marriage. But why does he feel that? The faint question soon faded as the heat in her stomach called her attention. She tightened against his fingers moving aggressively inside. His feverish gaze swept over her whole body and she couldn¡¯t turn her eyes away from his strong gaze, hooked. He pulled his finger out of her and pushed himself deeply at once. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Certainly¡­ I¡¯m dying.¡± Riftan let out a low, strangled moan and gently bit the lower part of her earlobe. She sped his stony shoulders tightly, feeling as if she had been caught by a hound. Grabbing both of her thighs, he opened them wide enough that they almost hurt and began to move slowly. Max buried her face in the pillow and suppressed her moans. Like a slow,gging stream, the movements gradually grew stronger. Riftan, which had been moving above for a long time, fell heavily atop her as he reached his peak. She heaved a short breath, in contrast to the long, hoarse exhale over the top of her head. ¡°I want to stay like this for a few days.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s heavy¡­.¡± She muttered with a panicked face. At this rate, she didn¡¯t think she would be able to get up for days with him weighing her down. He bitterly bit her ear in reply. ¡°Oh, that hurts¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you say you don¡¯t like it, when in fact it feels good.¡± He chewed her blushing earlobe and licked it with his tongue. Max recoiled and moved from his neck. ¡°Ri-riftan¡­!¡± ¡°It feels really good. I could¡¯ve stayed like this if it wasn¡¯t for that fucking lizard. If I had, we¡¯d have one or two kids by now, wouldn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Uh, d-don¡¯t, don¡¯t do it¡­!¡± Riftan continued to y with her ears and rubbed his warm body on her body as if he could not hear a word Max had said. Meanwhile, she had been exhausted by her seemingly never-ending ¡°duty in bed.¡± But it seems like he was not even a bit tired, sitting between her legs again. Max almost burst into tears. The moment she had rather fainted, she suddenly stopped moving. It was because someone banged on the door. Chapter 21: Light Beyond the Haze (1) Chapter 21 ¨C Light Beyond the Haze (1) ¡°Damn it! What?!¡± ¡°Please, open up! See that the sun is up in the sky! How long are you going to fool around in bed!?¡± From the door came a violent outburst. Riftan threw his fierce gaze towards the man standing outside, as if his vision could cut through the material. ¡°If you interrupt me a second time, I¡¯ll take your guts out! And if you dare protest, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°We need to leave! Did you forget you still have to go back to the capital after you visit your estate?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to die if we dy for a day, so don¡¯t fuck with me!¡± ¡°Leader!¡± ¡°Go, go! You¡¯ve been acting up for a little bastard!¡± He shook his head and furiously cried. Max froze; this was the first conversation with nasty swearing she had ever heard in her life. Then, Riftan raised himself up with a troubled face and shouted out at the door. ¡°Put the wagon on hold! I¡¯ll get ready and go.¡± His opponent outside the door banged away incessantly, refusing to budge. Riftan sighed loudly, looking down at the floor. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have brought those children with me..¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Wait for minute. I¡¯ll go out and get some clothes for you.¡± With a pale, weary face, she pulled the sheet to her neck and nodded. The man who was standing, and was in the middle of picking up his clothes, looked at her tear-streaked face and frowned. ¡°What? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Spit it out. If you haven¡¯t noticed it yet, I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± She hasn¡¯t missed it at all. Her husband, who she was reunited just yesterday, had an extremely fiery temper. She murmured timidly, ¡°Well, the, the people outside, the people¡­ you know, you know¡­¡± ¡°You know what?¡± ¡°Wh-what, what, what we did here¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her face glowed as if it was set on fire. The man¡¯s mouth suddenly twitched at the corner as he gazed down her blushing face. The next moment, beyond all incredulity, he tossed the garments and went for the sheets. ¡°Ri-riftan!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re driving me crazy.¡± He grinned breathlessly as he hugged her body and lifted her unto hisp. Max fluttered her legs in embarrassment. He wasughing so innocently, far from the overbearing man from before and she couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°You na?ve noblewoman. Of course, my men know what we did. There¡¯s no such thing as a couple, who were reunited after three years of separation, would sleep in one room merely holding hands.¡± ¡°Ha, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. We¡¯re married, and it¡¯s natural for you and me to do this and that.¡± Natural? She knew it was her duty as his wife, but what he shared with her didn¡¯t seem natural. Suddenly Max was surprised at her own thoughts. Shared? Was the deed they didst night something of a give and take scenario? She couldn¡¯t figure out why she felt this way. After all, it was all an act one had to endure to have a child¡­ ¡°You¡¯re red again. Ha, and it¡¯s not just them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But don¡¯t be afraid. I don¡¯t have the confidence to finish it before they break in.¡± He kissed her yfully on the tip of her nose and lowered her down from hisp. She sat around the sheets like a cocoon in a corner of the bed, rubbing the spot on her nose he had left his touch. Riftan bent down and picked up the clothes he had discarded and began to wear them one by one. She rapidly turned her eyes away from the sight of him unabashedly dressing in front of her with his naked body. He quickly donned his armor and said. ¡°I¡¯ll stand right outside and wait.¡± She nodded her head gently. At first, her legs trembled to the point she couldn¡¯t budge no matter how much she tried. But as Riftan went out of the room with a sword on his waist, she finally crawled towards her bedside to open the window. Under the pale autumn sky, a dense vige unfolded before her. A wide dirt road with clear marks of the wheels of the wagon, five or six wooden cabins, a sparse meadow and a broad orchard¡­ Max, who looked at the simple scenery one by one, suddenly felt a stinging nce and lowered her head. In front of the inn, a carriage has been parked where three of the knights who apanied Riftan stood tall and looked up at her. She shut the window in a hurry. Although she covered herself with sheets, she was embarrassed to be seen in her unscrupulous state as if she was about to sleep. ¡®Perhaps they¡¯ve dyed their departure because of me?¡¯ She bit her lips nervously. It was a long time that passed before she heard another sound; someone knocked on the door. She asked carefully. ¡°Who, who are you?¡± ¡°I brought water to wash.¡±
¡°Ce on in.¡± She crouched in the corner of the bed with her sheets wrapped around her body. The two maids who came in with arge basin, a water kettle and a white towel exchanged eyes with awkward faces. ¡°We have been instructed by your husband to serve you, but¡­¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ my, I can, I can do this¡­¡± ¡°He said you¡¯d need help¡­¡± She turned steaming red like her hair. ¡°Well, really, it¡¯s all right. I-my, my husband, say I¡¯ll do it.¡± Chapter 22: Light Beyond the Haze (2) Chapter 22 ¨C Light Beyond the Haze (2) The women left the room without further admonition, leaving what they had brought on the table. Max remained seated, waiting until they had gone far enough before she got up and closed the door. She then began to soak up the clean towel with the warm water on and wiped her body, that had been overworked all night, with it. It wasn¡¯t quite a refreshing feeling to feel the wet towel on her skin drenched with sweat and fluid. She wiped away the traces ofst night. There were many red marks on the shoulders, forearms, thighs, legs and chest. Will it be like this? Memories ofst night rose in her mind, and her cheeks warmed ember. Even though such marks couldn¡¯t disappear, she soaked up the towel and still rubbed the red spot vigorously. When she spent the night with him, she only felt embarrassment, but it was not as horrible as the first night. No, she even felt bliss when he hugged and kissed her tenderly, all the while smiling at her softly. No one had ever done such a thing to her. But her husband, who she always thought disapproved of her¡ªnot only did he take himself seriously as his wife, but he even seemed to like her in some ways. She remembered how he said he didn¡¯t want to leave even on the first night. ¡°Three years ago, I wanted to be with you, I didn¡¯t want to leave. You don¡¯t know how hard it was to get out of that bed.¡± She soaked her face in the basin to cool off the soaring heat. It was all like a dream. Max meticulously took care of her tangled hair like a vine with the soap and squeezed the water out of the towel. Then, she applied perfume evenly and brushed her locks carefully, but then she heard knocking again. ¡°Madam, your husband has sent you a change of clothes.¡± This time, Max opened the door and only received his clothes. It was a rosy dress with golden embroidery. When she unfolded it, the waistband, the breast strap and the thin cloth that appeared to be underwear rolled down. Max¡¯s face glowed red when she saw it. The underwear was not much different from the nanny had saved. Her face was so hot that she thought it would burn any moment now. In such a simple town, she could only wonder how she could have gotten it. This isn¡¯t his cup of tea¡­ or is it? She sped her face in unbearable shame and made a strange sound, yet again she heard a thumping on the door. This time it was a Riftan. ¡°Maxi, did you get your clothes? Are you all dressed?¡± ¡°Oh, not yet¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up, we have to leave quickly.¡± ¡°Now, wait a second¡­¡± His impetuous voice made her dress hurriedly in the underwear that seemed to make little difference. She quickly put on some white underpants and the sumptuous dress over her head. It was not easy because she had never worn such clothes without help before. She pulled her sky-high skirt over and stretched it long to her ankles and tightened her belt. But the strings on her back was unrelenting and she groaned for a long time almost having a cramp in her shoulder. It was when Riftan rapped at the door again. ¡°Not there yet?¡± ¡°Well, o-over here¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Who, anyone can help¡­ a person, one person, call for them again¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, the back, behind my clothes¡­¡± ¡°Open the door.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Open the door.¡± Caught by his urging, Max opened the door with one hand to keep the clothes from slipping down. Riftan, who pushed his way through, shut the door behind him and carefully scanned her. Max was clueless and apologized hurriedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte, I¡¯m sorry¡ªha, but the clothes are¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry, so don¡¯t apologize. I didn¡¯t know much about women¡¯s clothes, so I didn¡¯t even think how it would be ufortable to wear and take off.¡± He said, looking down her skirt and long sleeves. She squeezed her fingers in an awkward silence. Did the fancy dress truly suit her? Maybe it looked ridiculous. While she was hesitating, he held her by the shoulder and turned her around. ¡°I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± ¡°Uh, well, there¡­¡± Then he grabbed the string and began to tie them one by one with cautious hands. The rustling noise made Max nervous. He fumbled with the unfamiliar for a while before he allowed her to turn back. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°All right, thank you¡­¡± ¡°I got it from a merchant staying nearby, so I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be to your fancy. But for now, you have to put up with this. I¡¯ll give you better clothes when I arrive at the estate.¡± She blinked her eyes. She already thinks this outfit is very luxurious, but it wasn¡¯t to him? It was depressing. Max did not live a life of luxury as he thought. All the descendants of the Duke of Croix were all given to Rosetta. All of Max¡¯s clothes were made by the maids and roughly made from the rest of their fabric. She had never worn anything with such fancy embroidery. Still, Riftan seemed worried that she might be dissatisfied. Maybe he¡¯s a person who thought she¡¯s used to more beautiful apparel. She swallowed, feeling her throat run dry. She felt fortunate that she didn¡¯t bring any of her luggage and avoid humiliation by revealing her shabby wardrobe. She then spoke with a nonchnt air, pretending to straighten her skirt. ¡°This¡­ this dress is not bad for me, either.¡± She looked into his eyes, acting as if she were haughty, but the man merely hung a robe over her shoulders without any signs of upset. She cast her eyes on the delicate palette of her cloak. It seemed so strange that a knight like him would be so tender to her.
Chapter 23: Unexpected Warmth (1) Chapter 23 ¨C Unexpected Warmth (1) ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go out.¡± Finally, Riftan, who made her wear leather shoes on her feet, said. She nodded with a blush. They went out of the room came upon a wooden staircase. Taking Riftan¡¯s hand into her own, they went down. The armor-d knights sat in their seats inside the cluttered tavern, where tables and chairs were closely packed. ¡°Leader, I thought we were still staying. So we are leaving now?¡± One of them grumbled with his arms folded over his chest. But Riftan only took hold of her hand and went outside,pletely ignoring them. Then a knight standing by the door chased after him andined. ¡°Leader, are you going to continue doing that? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re used to it, but don¡¯t just take it for granted.¡± ¡°Quiet! I told you not to say anything.¡± Max looked up at the knight that had been talking with a puzzled look. The young man withrge build and curly hair shot her with disapproving eyes in return. She hid herself behind the Riftan, daunted by the piercing gaze that was not mixed with any goodwill. The blond man standing behind the knight snorted loudly. ¡°It¡¯s not funny. Only because she¡¯s the daughter of the Duke of Croix.¡± ¡°I told you to shut your mouth.¡± Riftan growled vehemently. The men mmed up at his ferocious spirit at once. He turned around again and pushed her into the carriage. ¡°Don¡¯t mind what they say.¡± Riftan, who was then on the wagon, said, and closed the door roughly. ¡°They don¡¯t look to kindly to your father. But you¡¯re madam Calypse, not Croix anymore. You are my wife. I¡¯ll warn them not to be rude again.¡± She couldn¡¯t find a word to answer, only gazing at the back of her hand on herp. ¡®Only because she¡¯s the daughter of the Duke of Croix,¡¯ the words reminded her of how this rtionship with him took ce. ¡°Are you offended by my men?¡± Seeing her sit quietly, he asked in a nervous tone. She looked up in surprise. Has anyone ever cared about her feelings at all? She smiled unconsciously as she looked at his troubled face. What a strange man, she thought. ¡°¡­ you know what?¡± ¡°Yes, w-what?¡± ¡°You smiled at me¡­ this is the first time.¡± Riftan, who was staring down at her face with an indecipherable expression, slowly reached out and stroked her cheek. Max was caught up in his intense gaze and stopped breathing. The man, whose lips were half open, as if to say something, soon pulled his hand away. Then, he yelled at the men outside, as if nothing had ever urred a moment ago. ¡°What are you waiting for? Who was the one who begged us to get going!¡± She heard murmurs from outside and soon the carriage rolled. She nced at his face in an awkward silence. Riftan had his head against the carriage window, closing his eyes as if he was tired. Feeling a little rxed now, she also leaned her head against the wall. The carriage shook and tossed, feeling like the rhythm of a cradle. Perhaps, with the tension of several days finally reaching its peak, she gradually fell asleep. *** Leaving the vige where they stayed on the first day, they traveled through the vast greenery all day long. Running a carriage on a poorly managed dirt road only made them reach a small vige near the forest when it waspletely dark. After traveling in a cramped space for the first time, Max was beyond exhausted. Riftan, who had gone outside first to identify himself, returned to the carriage to pick up his sleeping bag andmp from the luggagepartment. ¡°We¡¯re staying here today. It¡¯s chilly, so hold on to your clothes tight.¡± She followed his words, pressing the hood lower over her head. Carefully holding the strap of her coat, she stepped down from the carriage and they strode to where the knights gathered, Riftan¡¯s arm wrapped loosely around her shoulder. One of the knights, who had a long talk with the guard, looked back at him and asked him with an embarrassed look. ¡°Leader, what are your orders? They don¡¯t have any rooms to amodate us¡­¡± Riftan picked up themp and looked around quickly. Four or five dark cottages were lined up beside the winding dirt road, with their lights out. The knight quickly added an exnation. ¡°There are five cabins and they are full of serfs who came down for the harvest season. There¡¯s an empty grain warehouse. We can borrow that for a day¡­¡± The knight nced at Max¡¯s face towards the end of his speech. Riftan¡¯s forehead creased and he looked back to the guard. ¡°Is there a ce where my wife can stay separately?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a shabby cabin built to house the serfs during the harvest season. If you tell me, I can have them leave for you right now¡­ but I¡¯ll tell you now, it won¡¯t be a seemly ce for ady.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s better than the warehouse. If you could just clear a cabin for her, I¡¯d like to give you a generous¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m fine, It¡¯s all right.¡± Max caught hold of his arm in a fit of fear. Not only was it burdensome for the serfs, who had suffered from hardbor all day, to be driven out because of her, but also didn¡¯t want to spend the night alone in these spooky, unfamiliar ces. Looking around with frightened eyes, Max grabbed Riftan¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I, I don¡¯t want to be alone¡­¡± Chapter 24: Unexpected Warmth (2) Chapter 24 ¨C Unexpected Warmth (2) When a strange silence came, she was ovee with astonishment of what she said, and let go of his tunic instantly. The fever went up to the scruff of her neck. Is he surprised with her brazen words? After all, he was entirely mute. She couldn¡¯t look straight up at Riftan¡¯s face, fearing his expression now and only grabbed the hem of her skirt. The people around them, awkwardly ncing at each other, continued their conversation calmly. ¡°We¡¯ll leave you to it and take a rest first. I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°I also want to let the horse rest first. Hey, where can we find water here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a stream next to the mill. This way, please.¡± As the men were busily dispersed, Riftan, who was standing silently, pulled her hand. ¡°We¡¯ll go, too.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± She shifted her gait in a flurry to chase the leading Riftan strolling with his long legs. The ground was uneven, and she nearly tripped several times, but Riftan helped her up by steadying her with his strong arm. Walking along the narrow ditch for some time, arge wooden building appeared in the dim darkness. The men who entered the room first hungmps everywhere to brighten the dark interior. Max walked inside along the Riftan and looked around. It didn¡¯t seem at all strange if evil spirits came out immediately. Everywhere the light came into contact, a spider¡¯s web shed like a hazy ghost¡¯s hair, and the white, dusty floor beneath them squeaked with every step. She shifted her steps carefully to see if there were rats or bugs crawling on the floor. The men settled down with casual faces,id their sleeping bags and threw off their cumbersome defenses one by one. Riftan also spread a thickyer of straw on a corner and spread a sleeping bag over it. ¡°Come here.¡± Although Max felt as if she was about to faint, she couldn¡¯t just lie down in ce full of fleas. It was quite arge space, but when numerous people were brought in, it suddenly felt cramped. ¡°It¡¯ll be an ufortable sleeping experience for a while. Just hang in there until we get to Anatol.¡± He took off his breastte and gloves, pushing it to the side as he released the tension on his neck with a pop. She sat with her knees in her arms and nodded quietly. But Max had never stayed in the same room with such many men, so she could hardly rx. The knights, however, seemed to care less about her existence, and were busy preparing meals with the brazier. ¡°Leader! We don¡¯t have enough left to feed the horses. What are your orders?¡± One of the knights who followed the guard shouted, shoving his head into the warehouse. Riftan loosened his leather belt and responded casually. ¡°Ask the guard if we can buy grain.¡± ¡°We negotiated it. But all the food in the storage is the property of the Duke of Croix, so they can¡¯t handle it as they please.¡± She shivered unconsciously at the sudden mention of her father¡¯s name. Riftan brushed his head roughly and clicked his tongue. ¡°He¡¯s just asking for a higher price.¡± ¡°What shall I do?¡± ¡°Give him as much as he wants.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you have to go that far, perhaps we can scare¡ª¡± The knight, who gave a casual remark, stopped in his words as soon as he caught sight of Max. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing to do with the Duke so far. All right. I¡¯ll negotiate for you, so don¡¯t scold me about the light pocketter.¡± Then he went out of the warehouse again. Max felt the enmity of the knights against her father was stronger than she had expected and shrank. She surmised it was because of their hard feelings that they pretended not to notice her existence. Would it have been different if she looked as attractive as Rosetta? She reminisced of her stepsister, who received all kinds of gifts and letters her admirers who regrly visited the castle that she wasn¡¯t able to see Riftan, who had been rummaging through the fire for a long time, return with arge bowl. She looked up into the bowl, which had been cooked in bonfire. It was filled with baked potatoes. ¡°It¡¯s hot, so eat carefully.¡± Even though he said so, he picked up a steaming one with his calloused hands and took it in one big bite. Max took out a potato after him. She carefully grabbed the charcoal-like hot food with her sleeve, and peeled off the tanned skin, revealing the tender flesh inside. After she had puffed out the steam from the potatoes, and carefully taken off the peel, hunger, which she had not recognized, suddenly surged in. She gulped down the baked potatoes, not caring if the roof of her mouth burned. The potatoes that were slightly under-cooked could not have been more delicious. She quickly ate it all up from her hands. Then Riftan, who had been watching from beside her, pulled out another potato that had been peeled in advance. She panicked and waved her hands in embarrassment. ¡°Ri, Riftan, take it. It¡¯s, It¡¯s fine¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mince your words, take it.¡± He threw it towards her without any second hesitation and took another potato out of the bowl. Then he peeled and bit it with his mouth wide open. She looked down at her potato, which had been peeled clean, blew away the steam that rose and ate it. When her stomach was somewhat full, she was ovee with drowsiness. She put her head on her sleeping bag, forgetting it might have lice on it. The red light flowed from the brazier, which was ced in the center of the warehouse, and shone softly all over the ce. Even the knights, who had finished with their meal, were prepared for slumber on their respective sleeping bags. She said she would, but¡­ she still felt embarrassed to sleep among strangers, so she pulled the nket to the end of her chin. Then Riftan, who was sitting at her bedside grooming his sword,y beside her and hugged her tightly with one arm. Max shoved his arm away quickly. ¡°Ri, Riftan¡­ the-there¡¯s people here¡­¡± ¡°Nobody cares, so stay calm. It¡¯s cold.¡±
T/N: Double chapter update for our dear readers <3> Chapter 25: Glimpse of Magic Chapter 25 ¨C Glimpse of Magic Max felt the heat from Riftan¡¯s body, his chin making contact with her unruly hair as he locked an arm around her neck. She had the strangest inkling: thinking he did it because he thought she was cold, and peeked at him from beneath her eyshes, at a loss what to do. True to his words, no one paid attention to their closeness; perhaps they pretended not to. Still, Max wasn¡¯t thick-faced enough to be so close to a man¡­ even if it were her husband. Her tongue mustered the proper words to say, wary of his possible ire. ¡°I-I¡¯m okay. I, I mean¡­ ju-just be a little further away¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re troubling her. Please be considerate.¡± Max raised her head at the sudden voice that interrupted them. Not only was it an ordinary disruption, but a subordinate berating Riftan, their supposed captain. She found that it came from a slender young man, appearing to be in his early twenties, standing three or four steps away with a smallmp in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be nosy, Ruth. Leave.¡± Riftan sighed, almost impatiently. Unfazed by his cold reception, Ruth managed to reply coolly. ¡°How long are you going to keep growling like a barbarian. I¡¯m not going to bother you, so you can cease doing that.¡± At such brazen words, Max¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise. The man who relentlessly engaged in speaking against Riftan caught sight of her gaze, and this time his sights turned towards her. Feeling as if he had seen her doing something discourteous, Max stood up in a hurry. As if held by a string, Riftan followed after her, sitting up reluctantly. ¡°¡­what¡¯s your business?¡± he finally said, his tone a tad milder than before. ¡°I brought it,¡± he raised the glowing light, ¡°because I thought you¡¯d be cold.¡± Although the ¡®you¡¯ in question was left unspoken, it was obvious it was Max he was referring. His hands then dived for the pockets in his sides, rummaging for quite some time before taking it out again. Tiny pebbles that emitted soft lights lit the man¡¯s palm. Upon seeing it, Max felt tranquility wrap around her. The lights grew nearer with the man¡¯s steps. ¡°The Manastone of Fire. It¡¯s a spell to keep you warm. Here, take it and keep it close to you,¡± he said. Max instantly felt flustered, ¡°M-me¡­ Sir, this is for me?¡± She couldn¡¯t keep off the surprise from showing at the unexpected kindness, making the man¡¯s eyebrows raise in turn. ¡°Who else? The people gathered here are strong men who can even stay naked under the resilient frost,¡± he spat out with a careless attitude, not caring one bit if it were a woman on the receiving end of his words. He then continued exining, ¡°But you¡¯re different. It looks like you don¡¯t have much stamina either¡­ In any case, it¡¯ll be my responsibility if you catch a cold here. Think of it as a preventive measure.¡± Upon hearing she could be a burden, Max epted it into her hands without another word. Warm air gently enveloped her whole body as soon as the stone was in her hands, just as he had exined. For a moment when she was merely staring at the stone in wonder, she soon realized that she had not yet thanked him for his generosity. Her head raised in panic. ¡°Th-thank you¡­ S-sir, sir Ruth.¡± The man¡¯s taciturn countenance softened at her mumbled gratitude. ¡°I am not a knight but a wizard. You may call me Ruth,¡± he said. The man then turned and went back to his seat on the other side, as if finished with whatever purpose he had. Riftan, who had been watching their exchange in silence,id back down and pulled her with him. Max could feel the tremor in his touch and the nervousness that came with it. ¡°You¡¯re tired.¡± He started, ¡°Go to sleep. We¡¯ll leave tomorrow as soon as the first light of dawn breaks.¡± Riftan¡¯s hand then moved to turn off the light from the oilmp ced by his side. As if the other knights had been waiting for him, the lights in the room extinguished in dominoes, submerging the ce in gloomy darkness. Max, who was wriggling ufortably in the man¡¯s arms, could not endure the terrible fatigue that came and closed her eyes. The steady drumming from the chest her cheek was in contact with sounds much of a luby. And instantly, her worries of sleeping in such quarters faded, reced only by a deep slumber. * As morning descended, what was once the creepy semnce of the vige fromst night was gone, reced by a lively glow. Before one¡¯s eyes, a beautiful panoramic view of the Yudical foresty beyond the row of huts like a backdrop. Unending golden fields of wheat stretched before her sight, moving like ocean waves on a calm morning. Max left the warehouse to wash her face with the only stream avable. In the early morning, the water was chilly enough almost to freeze her hands. She wet her long, tangled hair like a vine with it, the cool breeze kissing her damp face, and making her spine erupt in goosebumps at the slight wind. Finding little efforts for grooming could be done, Max returned to the warehouse, carefully wiping the water off her face with the sleeves of her dress. She saw the knights had already gathered in front of the carriage upon her return, ready for departure. Riftan was the first to catch sight of her. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go around alone.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± At his stern voice, she dropped her head and rushed forward. Riftan then lifted her to the carriage, his frown still in ce, as if he still had a lecture for her. And as expected, he then added, ¡°Don¡¯t ever act on your own. The Yudical woods house a lot of monsters.¡± Max trembled, recalling the horrendous beings she had seen on the first day. However, it was her helplessness against their attacks that made her shake in fear. ¡°Ye-yes, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Chapter 26: Decadent Nights Chapter 26 ¨C Decadent Nights Riftan¡¯s face visibly loosened. ¡°All right then. I¡¯m an extra load if I sit inside, so I¡¯ll be riding my horse from now on. Call me if you feel ufortable.¡± Riftan then closed the carriage door before him. After some time, of which Max tried to seat herselffortably, the familiar jolt of the carriage signaled the wheels were moving against the dirt road. Max nced at every passing scenery at the window, finding the expansive wheat field drift away from her vision to be reced by a view of dense, menacing trees. The sunlight crept through the leaves, bathing the ce in gold, akin to the soft threads of a woven veil. Meanwhile, the knights majestically sat on their horses, surrounding the carriage in the middle. Max squinted hard, expecting another monster to make a sudden appearance from the woods. Contrary to her concerns, the journey this time was smooth and quiet. It was soon her constant apprehension of making sure she wouldn¡¯t stumble inside the rocking carriage that drained her physical strength. It didn¡¯t help when the road still didn¡¯t get better after some time. Minutes passed by slowly, and it was unknown how much time had psed when finally, the carriage that had been moving for a long time stopped. Riftan appeared before her, opening the door and uttering the words she wanted to hear badly. ¡°We¡¯ll take a break here.¡± Max skipped out of the carriage all too eagerly. In no time, her sudden actions made blood rush to her leg that had gone stiff from sitting. As an unpleasant tingling sensation settled on her legs, she swallowed a groan and bent over to rub some friction on her legs. Riftan then took off his thick overcoat and ced it over a rock, sitting her on it as if it were a cushion. Without waiting for Max¡¯s reaction, of which he knew would be of refusal, he knelt on one knee and began to massage her cramped muscles. With an embarrassed face, Max hurriedly looked around. Some of the knights who were giving their horses water to drink stood away, their sights on anything but them¡­ but Max could see the unmistakable astonishment on their faces. Max pushed Riftan¡¯s shoulders away, her cheeks turning scarlet red. ¡°Ri-riftan, oh, g-goodness! You don¡¯t have to. I-I¡¯m all right¡­¡± ¡°Is it a habit?¡± he asked out of the blue. ¡°¡­What?¡± Riftan wrapped her calf around the hem of his shirt, rubbing it lightly against the cloth. With a low voice, he mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s all right¡­ Don¡¯t be afraid to talk.¡± Max couldn¡¯t figure out by what habit Riftan meant: her stuttering or the times she always insisted on doing things on her own in fear of being a nuisance. Whatever of the two, warmth blossomed inside her chest. Unable to find the proper words, her sights trailed down at his strong hands carefully pressing her legs. All the while, she busied herself studying the tendons that ran along the length of his buff arm, yet the question of ¡°Why are you being so nice to me?¡± couldn¡¯t escape her mind. Something tickled in her stomach, an ufortable sensation as if she was wearing clothing with the wrong fitting. ¡°Oh, now. I¡¯m truly¡­ f-fine.¡± Max tried to force her leg out from his hold, Riftan barely moved before she rose from her seat in visible fluster. Her hands pretended to straighten her skirt for no reason. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll bring you something to eat, so rest for now.¡± The man rose silently from his seat, only returningter bringing bread and dried meat. Max soaked the dry, sturdy bread in water and ate it curiously. After finishing her meal, she carefully nced towards Riftan, sneaking a wary look towards the bushes behind him some distance away. The monotonous journeymenced, and Max found herself listlessly counting the passing trees in the rocking carriage from boredom. It came to the point the foliage became thicker that less light could pass. Then when it was too dark to proceed any further, the knights halted and scoured for a ce to rest. Only when they had sufficiently checked the surroundings free from stray animals and wild beasts did Max leave the carriage. Grabbing amp with her hands, she approached the busy Riftan pitching up a small tent near her carriage. Meanwhile, all the other knightsid their beddings on the other side, forming a circle around the bonfire. ¡°The forest gets submerged in a fog at dawn. So If you don¡¯t want to freeze, you¡¯ll have to put up with this poor roof.¡± Upon noticing her presence, Riftan, who was fastening the fabric tightly at the ground, looked back and exined to Max. Max bent down, examining the insides of the waist-high triangr tent and found that it could fit only one person. She unconsciously said towards Riftan, ¡°Two¨Caren¡¯t you, uh, isn¡¯t it too narrow for two people to sleep¡­?¡± Max, with a tilt of her head, casually posed the ¡®harmless¡¯ question. The man¡¯s hand, who had been dutifully hammering a stake on the other side of the ground, suddenly stopped. There was a hint of embarrassment on his face as he looked back at her. A faint blush in his cheeks. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to sleep here alone. You are going to rest in the carriage.¡± Max¡¯s face suddenly warmed, and in no time, she was as red as a beet. How awkward her thoughts have strayed¡ªeven going as far as to think they wouldy down on the same bed together. Max added in a hurry, stumbling on her own words, ¡°O-oh! I, I¡­ sleeping with me, oh no¡­ alone¡ªah, that¡¯s what I thought you were doing it for¡­¡± ¡°¡­Look at me. I¡¯ve barely put up with it yesterday.¡± With a deep sigh, Riftan bowed his head with a troubled face. Then he muttered a curse, and grabbed her hand, dragging her somewhere deeper into the dark forest. Max staggered after him. Even with just a little distance from camp, the dark that enveloped them was still frightening. The whistle of the passing wind rustled the leaves overhead and the cries of the birds filled the air around them. It all came as a chilling melody in her ears and Max sped her hands over them in fear, as a futile effort to block out the sounds. After walking some time, the man then pushed her body behind arge, wooden post, crashing his lips down on hers in haste and pent-up passion. Max gasped at the unexpected act. Taking advantage of it, Riftan sucked her soft tongue into his mouth, tasting it with an intense longing. As she tried to shake her head away from the strange sensation, he held her face closer and kissed her deeper. Riftan¡¯s soft hair tickled Max¡¯s forehead, and hisrge, calloused palms gently swept around her cheeks towards the back of her neck. He twisted her head lower, giving him better ess to her mouth as he devoured her. His tongue swept all over the flesh of her mouth¡ªher tongue, her cheeks, the roof of her mouth. As sticky saliva trickled down their lips, dampening their jaws, Riftan licked it down and mumbled, ¡°I had to suffer this all night.¡± He grabbed her hand and ced it on a sacred ce on his body. Max immediately felt his bulging manhood under her palms and shuddered. She tried to pry her hands off in a hurry as if scalded, but the arm holding her wouldn¡¯t budge with her meager strength disyed. ¡°Do you know how difficult it is to lie down and sleep in this state?¡± Chapter 27: Mysterious Heat Chapter 27 ¨C Mysterious Heat Riftan poured out kisses as if he were trying to devour Max, pinned between a wooden post and his hard body. He grasped her backside with both hands and pulled her closer, rubbing his swollen groin on her lower stomach. Her body instantly responded, warming to his touch. Fearing her surprising reaction, Max twisted away quickly from his hold. ¡°No¡­ not here¡­¡± she said. ¡°¡­You¡¯re driving me crazy.¡± Riftan let out a low moan and leaned his head against the tree in exasperation. Feeling his shoulders soar up and down, Max became nervous. It was apprehension that stemmed from his iing anger because of her rejection. But contrary to her thoughts, he only backed away, with painstaking effort, from her. Riftan patted her cheek and said, ¡°¡­You¡¯ll sleep alone in the wagon tonight.¡± He said as if he were speaking to a naive child. She barely mustered a small nod, feeling embarrassment creep up. The man took her hand in his again and walked her back to the camp. Seeing their return, a giant knight sitting on a rock, who was igniting a fire, grinned. ¡°Leader, you¡¯re faster than I thought. Isn¡¯t your sword so old that it¡¯s rusted?¡± Riftan footsteps halted, and he turned to the man. Although the knight was snickering, there was no hint of any ill will on his face. When he saw this, he leaned his sword against the tree and muttered, contempt present in his voice, ¡°Bastard.¡± ¡°How noble is the master of the Rikaido family?¡± another knight joined in. ¡°Nobler than yours, that¡¯s a given.¡± ¡°What? How dare you speak to me like that? This guy goes behind everyone¡¯s back! Agh! You bastard!¡± The man tried to kick the blonde knight¡¯s legs. He jumped out from his seat, grabbing his sword to rush at him. Thetter also drew his sword and casually pointed it at the man¡¯s throat. At the fearsome disy, Max was shocked and hid behind Riftan¡¯s back. Riftan wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave the men a fierce re. ¡°You seem to have a lot of energy¡­ So both of you can take turns keeping watch tonight.¡± ¡°Leader!¡± Both objected at once. Rifftan continued walking towards the wagon, pretending not to hear their protests. Max looked over his shoulders and saw the two men threatening to kill each other behind his back. Riftan merely turned her face towards his and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. They always fight like this.¡± Max nodded her head. She grasped that not all of the knights have a good rtionship with each other. Riftan put her in the wagon and started putting up the tent they had left again. As he worked, she sat at the entrance of the wagon with a litmp beside her, offering light in the gloomy surrounding. Afterying a sleeping bag inside the tent, he sat down on a tree root protruding next to him to started sharpening his sword, as he always did. A few momentster, two knights who had been scouting around returned with three ck birds, both about the size of a goose. They grabbed the wings of the birds and twisted them, tearing them apart and peeling them off their feathers all at once. Max only froze in surprise. The torn wingsid on the ground, a sickening sight for her, as the knights cut the birds¡¯ leg with a sharp dagger and tossed their feathers in a pile. Max hurriedly ran inside the wagon, trying to hold the bile that rose from her throat. A whileter, Riftan brought her some of the roasted meat, but she didn¡¯t feel like eating it. She refused even one bite and just ate bread with a little cheese. Riftan nced at her, biting into the lean meat. ¡°It will take a few more days to get out of here. Until then, you must fill your body so you¡¯ll have enough strength.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m eating well.¡± Riftan raised his eyebrows as if he wanted to say something. But he just finished eating his meal with a sigh. Meanwhile, Max consciously tried to avoid looking at the feathers piled up near the fire, like darkness on the brown ground. Late into the night, the air got much colder and denser. As the other knightsid down one by one in their tents, Maxid down on the thick sleeping bag ced on the carriage seat. asionally, she would hear the cries of beasts in the night and the rustling of leaves. Feeling an eerie chill on her back, she opened the door and looked down at the tent where Riftan was sleeping. When she saw his long legs sticking out, her mind was relieved for some reason. Sheid her head down again to sleep, but the cries of the birds who seemed to mourn their fallen friend kept her awake all night.
Hehehe Riftan barely managed to restrain himself there¡­ Chapter 28: Questionable Behavior Chapter 28 ¨C Questionable Behavior Max, who tossed and turned all night, and only managed to fall asleep at dawn, was awoken suddenly by a loud sound. In the dawning light, the knights were putting on their armor piece by piece. She washed her face and brushed her messy hair back with her hands, as she usually did in theck of propermodities. The knights announced their departure while ravenously eating their bread and chugging water. She also ate the simple meal as she sat in her seat, listening to them. After a while, the wagon began to roll vigorously, and Max¡¯s entire body once again rattled ufortably in the carriage. The knights, who had been bracing themselves for iing monsters, grumbled that they hadn¡¯t even seen amon forest goblin. But she didn¡¯t want to see any goblins. They traveled half the day without stopping, and then they stopped for a quick lunch by a small fountain before setting off again. Riftan held her hand tight all day, so she would not lose her bnce in the swaying wagon. Max couldn¡¯t even say, ¡°Can¡¯t we just take a short break?¡± So as when night fell, she felt immensely relieved. She hungrily devoured the food Riftan handed her, then fell asleep as soon as sheid her head on the makeshift pillow. Since Max got a good night¡¯s rest, the next day was much better. They moved from early dawn until the sun sunk beyond the Judean forest. She breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed the vibration of the wagon had reduced significantly. Unlike the uneven terrain and the very rugged Yudical forest, the ins of Anatorium were well-paved. She opened her window and looked at the green grass and white wildflowers covering the gentle hills. Perhaps because she saw nothing but thick, gloomy trees for thest few days, the view of the golden ins was breathtaking. ¡°Once we pass that mountain, we¡¯ll be in Anatol.¡± Riftan said, then walked to the front of the wagon to speak with the knights who were leading. Max stuck her head out of the window and looked ahead. At the end of the ins, mountain peaks were lined up like fences. ¡°Hang on just a little longer. We¡¯ll be there the day after tomorrow-no! As early as tomorrow evening!¡± Max almost started to moan with relief. If she could endure one more day, she could finally sleep in afortable bed. She imagined herself filling her stomach with soft bread, thick vegetable soup, jam-filled pie, and liquor after soaking in a hot bath, thenying down on a clean, cozy bed. She needed to hold on a little longer. The wagon only stopped when the sun began to set. As soon as she got out of the carriage, she tried to search for Riftan. She felt as if she was a lost child among the knights who pretended not to notice her. Max crept through the crowd of men busily preparing for camp and saw Riftan with the horses by the river. As she walked towards him, he looked back at her with a puzzled look. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s going on?¡± Max couldn¡¯t say that she ran out here just because she couldn¡¯t see him, so she bent down and pretended to wash her hands. Riftan squatted down and followed her, washing his hands, and the nape of his neck with the cold water. His long, thick nape shed like copper, reddish in the glow of the sun. She sneaked a peek at how he cleaned his messed up hair with his wet hands, the beauty of this man buried in her heart. ¡°Hey, your skirt is all wet.¡± He suddenly stared at her feet. Max stared at him, astonished. She couldn¡¯t change for days, so her skirt was covered in dust and was now dripping wet. Embarrassed, she started frantically wiping the mud off her skirt. Riftan knelt in front of her. ¡°Let me handle it.¡± ¡°N-no! It¡¯s all right!¡± Surprised, she tried to back away, her eyes wide as saucers. Riftan merely grabbed her skirt, soaking the mussy part in the river to rinse it. After washing it as gently as he could, he squeezed the water out. Max leaned over him, not knowing what to do. Knights valued honor more than life itself. Riftan was a knight who did not bow his head to any king without great allegiance. But here he was, kneeling in front of her. Did he have no objection to be on his knees before her because he was born on the low ss of society? Max wondered if the other knights would tease him for leaning in front of a humble woman like herself. ¡°You must be cold. Go to the fire and warm up.¡± Riftan said, washing his dirty hands. Max dazedly climbed the hill, yet with caution, so that the hem he had cleaned wouldn¡¯t get dirty again. A cold night breeze flew west through the fields, making her tie her hood tightly that her hair wouldn¡¯t be messed. From a distance, she watched him water the horses and his clothes. Before she knew it, the sun had fallen behind the mountain, and they were surrounded by an ocean of darkness.
Yes the fluff is here!! All hail the fluff! Chapter 29: Disobedience to the King (1) Chapter 29 ¨C Disobedience to the King (1) ¡°¡­ I think the rainy season is about to begin.¡± Riftan, who was about to tether the horses, said, as he looked up at the sky. The sky was rippling with an ominous pattern of fish scales as if it had be the sea. Riftan nodded his head again knowing that he was right, and the knight who had lightly tossed a log into the fire agreed with him. ¡°I¡¯m depressed just thinking about it. It¡¯s awful to wander through these mountains in the rain. My armor feels so heavy and useless, and the ground bes drenched.¡± The other knights all took off their armor, grunting as they warmed their hands by the fire. ¡°We should have arrived at Anatol by now.¡± ¡°What difference would that make? Did you forget? As soon as we arrive at Anatol, we have to leave for another kingdom in just a few days,¡± another knight threw in. The frowning man snuck a glimpse at Max, who was staring into the fire. ¡°It took much longer because of this horrific wind¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be funny to anger King Ruben even more by dying further?¡± ¡°Well, the rainy season is about to begin. What can we even do about it?¡± Riftan tied his horse¡¯s reins to the post and plopped down next to Max. The blonde knight Ricardo was sitting quietly next to his horse with an unmistakably depressed look on his face. ¡°Does the warrior who defeated the red dragon now refuse to respond to the king¡¯s call because of some rain? You can¡¯t keep your Majesty waiting any longer! We¡¯ve already wasted enough time with this useless work!¡± The man¡¯s voice cut across him like a whip on his back. Max¡¯s face turned pale and Riftan¡¯s face turned red with anger. ¡°Uslyn Ricardo¡­ Be careful what you say to me.¡± Riftan then added, ¡°Who said I would disobey the king? I¡¯ve just been dyed a bit.¡± The man pursed his lips as if he was about to start shouting again, then he suddenly turned his back and heavy silence fell all around. The only sound that could be heard was the crackle of firewood. One of the knights, known for his impertinent and sometimes thoughtless actions, suddenly spoke up. ¡°I agree with our leader. I don¡¯t want to get wet in the rain like a mangy dog. We¡¯ve been through this for three years, and I¡¯m ready to go back to our old lives.¡± ¡°You pathetic bastard! With this wind-!¡± ¡°Lord Ricardo and Sir Nirta both have a point. We should instill the power of the Remdragon Knights on the capital as soon as we can,¡± argued Ruth, who until then had been sitting quietly in the corner. Then, a knight called Hebaron triumphantly stood up. ¡°Look at that. Even the wizard says that I¡¯m right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just raining a bit. There may be time before the rainy season truly begins.¡± Ricardo looked upset but Ruth looked pleased. He had felt a palpable release in the tense atmosphere and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With this argument, they still hadn¡¯t decided about when they would leave for Anatol and the territory of Croix. Max recalled a map of the continent of Roviden that she saw in the castle library one day. Riftan¡¯s estate in Anatol, was located on a small penins, which stretched like a snake¡¯s head toward the southwestern tip of the South Sea of Syria. She was told that it was surrounded by rugged mountains and wide-open fields to the south. Whedon¡¯s capital, Drakium, was located to the far northwest, far above Anatol. The fastest route from Aranthal, where the battle against the dragonmenced, to the royal capital was to go straight up the Wiserium River. She had only a flimsy knowledge of geography, but it seemed clear that they were taking the long way around. ¡®It¡¯s all my fault¡­ I brought the king¡¯s wrath down on us!¡¯ Max inwardly confessed. Max vaguely understood why Uslyn Ricardo was so nervous. Riftan had refused the king¡¯s proposal to marry his daughter. The more she thought about this problem, the more her stomach twisted up in knots. ¡®No, it¡¯s not because of me¡­ there has to be another reason. What other knight in this world would postpone a king¡¯s call in order to take his wife home?¡¯ But she soon got rid of her dark thoughts. It made no sense to me everything on herself. When the central powers are weak, a man with arge tract ofnd with the military power necessary to maintain and protect it was far more powerful than the king. Whedon was after all more stable than the other six nations. Moreover, Ruben III is a king who was a strong leader and crucially had the allegiance of hundreds of respected knights. Such a person could not be put on the back burner so easily. Chapter 30: Disobedience to the King (2) Chapter 30 ¨C Disobedience to the King (2) ¡°Now, keep up your spirits, and let¡¯s eat.¡± The knight assigned to food duty began to evenly cut the chunks of cheese and distribute the simple meal of cheese, cold meat and bread. They ate the stale brown bread washed down with the wine handed out by Riftan. Soon they all drifted off to sleep. Maybe it was from sheer exhaustion, but Max was too restless to sleep. Tomorrow they would move to a new home. What kind of ce would Anatol be? She thought about her fate, and her thoughts wandered in unexpected directions. She was so frightened a few days ago, but now she felt a glimmer of hope somewhere in the corner of her heart. Maybe you can start a new life in this new ce. But she forced herself to suppress any expectations. She was terrified of being disappointed again. Not only had she survived the crisis of divorce, but she had also escaped her father¡¯s abuse. Her husband, who seemed like a terrible person at first, now didn¡¯t seem to be so cold. No, he is a kind person and she saw small but amazing changes happening every day. She knew that the goddess of luck didn¡¯t smile often. Max pulled the nket up to her neck and vowed to keep her mind open no matter what happened. *** They reached the foothills the next day by midday. As they entered the valley, Max noticed a small watchtower hidden behind trees. Four guards were sent out hurriedly to greet them. With the guards¡¯ guidance, they were able to enter the and sit down to eat. After eating their first hot meal in weeks of hot stew and baked potatoes, they got on their horses to continue the journey. Max got out of the wagon and rode with Riftan, since they had to travel as fast as possible before sunset. She had never been on a horse before because she had always been too nervous. As she held her saddle tightly with a stooped posture, Riftan held her firmly with one arm and leaned her against his chest. ¡°We¡¯re taking a shortcut, so it¡¯ll be a rough ride. Lean against me so you can be a little morefortable.¡± The other knights stayed in a close group with Riftan as they rode over the unfamiliar, unforgiving road. ¡°Leader! There are five werewolves ahead! As the leading knight shouted, the knights all pulled out their swords in unison. Out of fear, Max grabbed the horse¡¯s mane. Riftan shouted and wanted to head towards the battlefield but knew he was encumbered with Max and decided to stay put. ¡°Don¡¯t let theme this way!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll stand our ground!¡± A knight named Hebaron ran forward wildly with a piercing shout. At the same time, the ferocious beasts¡¯ cries rang out, Max shivered and held her breath, burying her face in Riftan¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯ll all be over soon, just close your eyes.¡± She closed her eyes and covered her ears like a child as instructed. However, she couldn¡¯t stop the sound of the sword pounding violently or the cry of the angry beast from piercing her eardrum. ¡°Leader! Above us!¡± After hearing someone else¡¯s cry, she unconsciously lifted her head and gave a shrill scream. A ck monster on the branches ran towards them like lightning. But before the creature could reach them, it was sliced in two in thin air. She looked down at the ck monster lying on the floor, unable to understand what had happened. Riftan spit blood from his mouth and it sshed on the hem of his robe. ¡°Gabel, don¡¯t you know how to count? There weren¡¯t five, but six werewolves.¡± The knight retorted, ¡°ck werewolves have stealth powers and can hide easily.¡± Riftan clicked his tongue, spurring the horse to move forward and saw monsters with human bodies and wolf heads tangled around the tree roots like snakes. The knights wiped the blood off their swords and got on their horses once again. Max was amazed by how tough they were. A few years ago, she read about Werewolves in a book. They were clearly described as having bones as hard as iron, and skin as strong and hard as barbed armor, making it impossible to prate. How had Riftan killed such a beast so easily?. ¡°There¡¯s sure to be more of these beasts around here, so let¡¯s hurry.¡± Ruth looked around at the other knights, and they all nodded in unison. The horses ran fast as possible and Max grit her teeth to avoid biting her tongue. She overlooked the mountain road covered with rocks and trees as they passed the peaks
Riftan is definitely stalling, Maxi¡­ Chapter 31: Her New Home (1) Chapter 31 ¨C Her New Home (1) Max gaze flitted towards thendscape beyond the steep hill. Below the meadow was arge vige surrounded by giant gray walls. Riftan pointed his finger in the distance. ¡°That¡¯s my estate in Anatol. The citizens here are mercenaries, miners, and farmers. But the ground is not suitable for growing, so most of the people rely on livestock, raising sheep, chickens, and goats to survive.¡± As she listened to him, Max carefully surveyed thend where she would live. In front of the towering entrance was arge meadow. Beyond it, a steep high mountain peak to the rear acted as its barrier. And in the middle of the mountain, a giant fortress that looked like a terrifying golem sat, splitting the mountain in half. The moment she saw it, she felt a faint chill go down her spine. The castle of Calypse was very much like her husband¡¯s alter ego¡ªa lonely and overbearing giant¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not morous on the outside, but it¡¯s spacious inside,¡± confided Riftan nervously. Max¡¯s eyes were glued to the castle as Riftan started speaking in a more tense voice. She looked back at him in wonderment. She had never seen such a huge shapeless mass of stone blocking half the mountain. It was quite a stark difference from the regal Croix Castle that had a beautiful exterior following the extravagant designs of the Roem empire. Riftan nervously added, ¡°It¡¯s hard to change the appearance, but¡­ god d*mn it; it has to be that way. There are too many monsters in the vicinity¡­¡± ¡°M-many monsters?¡± Max nervously said. His expression on edge, Riftan insisted, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry! Do you see how high those walls are?¡± He pointed to the distance, ¡°I built them as soon as I acquired the estate. It took several years to build a sturdy wall to protect the whole town¡­ but no creatures can get through it now!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried¡­¡± whispered Max. She responded in a quiet but disconcerted voice, in reaction to the intense defense of his estate. But it wasn¡¯t just to make him feel better. As Riftan said, she could see that the walls surrounding the castle looked well-made and secure, and surprisingly, it made her feel at ease. ¡°Leader, may we head out already. I¡¯m starving! I think the rest of the knights are also hungry and thirsty!¡± At the urging of the knight, Riftan flicked his horse¡¯s reins. Their horses galloped faster down the hill, and Max squinted her eyes at the wind rushing at her face. The hood flew off her head. Her red locks streamed behind her¡ªas if they were dancing with the wind. ¡°We are the Knights of Remdragon! Open the door!¡± His knights shouted upon reaching the gate. The guards manning it rushed to give them entry after seeing Riftan¡¯s armor and the crests on their robes reflected on the sun. In front of the entrance, many vigers came to greet the great warrior who had defeated the evil dragon. Upon seeing Riftan, they all cheered. ¡°Rossem Wigru de Calypse (Uigru¡¯s Incarnate Calypse)!¡± Max was overwhelmed by the deafening sounds of the cheering and subconsciously moved closer to Riftan. The incarnation of the great hero Uigru ¨C what a fantastic tribute to him. The farmers who had stopped their work waved their pickaxes in the air like a triumphant g. Miners stood on their carts and swayed their arms enthusiastically while tradespeople sat on their roofs and cheered. Children with soot on their faces beamed, showing their toothy smiles. All the townspeople cried out the name of their Lord, and Max could only be overwhelmed by the genuine outpouring of their love for Riftan. Max had never seen or experienced such heartfelt love and admiration for a lord. Such a scene was utterly dissimr from the servants who had obeyed her father out of fear. It didn¡¯t help that her father was a proud, brutal man either; he was always cold and regal. It was another story here, however. A sense ofmunity and undying loyalty was present in the air, undeniable. And people¡¯s faces were full of incontestable joy and pride. ¡°Leader! The townspeople have prepared a wee ceremony. They¡¯ve been preparing ever since news of your victory reached Anatol!¡± one of the knights shouted in an enthusiastic voice. Riftan waved his hand to acknowledge the wee and addressed the crowd, ¡°I have to go straight to the castle. I hope you all enjoy yourself.¡± Riftan then spurred his horse on toward the castle, the other knights lightly following with their horses. People had gathered on either side of the road, throwing wildflowers toward them as they rode past. Max stared at the petals strewn along the path with tearful eyes. She was in awe of such a disy. Her heart was hammering against her chest so much she thought she might burst into tears. However, Riftan continued forward with no expression on his face, seemingly unaffected by what was going on around him. Max inwardly reflected, ¡®Sometimes¡­he can be full of emotion, but¨C¡¯ Many times he¡¯s cold as if his heart is stone. Her thoughts died down in confusion. She didn¡¯t know how to read him yet, and she frequently wondered what kind of man did she genuinely marry. Chapter 32: Her New Home (2) Chapter 32 ¨C Her New Home (2) As they approached Anatol, Max realized it was much bigger than she had imagined or had initially thought. She was surprised at the size and that a vige on the outskirts could be so vibrant. There were huts, shops, and inns densely packed along the roads and zas, and there were pubs next to the streams across the vige. While the knights ran to the pub straight away, beautifully dressed prostitutes leaned out of the windows and blew kisses at them. Some pulled up the hems of their dresses, revealing their bare legs. Max couldn¡¯t believe her eyes, and her mouth hung wide open. ¡°We¡¯ll hurry up a bit,¡± Riftan whispered in her ear, as he watched the people gathering closer and closer. She nodded her head, and he took it as a sign to go faster, quickly crossing the square. As they climbed a gentle slope along the hill, a wide moat and arge wall appeared. The guards who heard of their lord¡¯s arrival quickly dropped the drawbridge. She opened her eyes wide at the breathtaking sight she saw in the distance. After they crossed the bridge, the first thing she saw was arge yard, a training ground, and a building that looked like a guard post. It was more of a military fortress than a castle. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Riftan entered the second gate, passing through the long lines of guards on their left and right who assembled to meet their lord. Through the steep driveway, she saw the deste gardens, the massive stone buildings, and the ominous stone that towered all around them. What was Anatol truly like? What were its true colours? In front of the grand stairway, there were about fifty people lined up. ¡°Wee back!¡± they all announced in unison. ¡°Yes.¡± Riftan responded with a curt nod to his solemnly bowing servants and jumped off his horse. He helped Max get down gently and handed the horse to the old man who came forward. ¡°Let us rest, we¡¯ve been through a lot,¡± Riftan said. ¡°Of course, lord. And the other knights¡­?¡± the old man inquired. ¡°There is a festival in town. They¡¯re staying at the pub tonight. Though, if anyonees back, please give them a clean room.¡± ¡°As soon as I heard that you wereing, I cleaned up both the training center and the rooms. But Lord, she is¡­ ?¡± As the old man¡¯s eyes turned toward her, Max subconsciously straightened her shoulders. Riftan¡¯s steely voice chilled her. ¡°She¡¯s my wife. I brought her home.¡± ¡°¡­ It is a pleasure to meet you, madam. My name is Kunel Osban. I am the stableman for this castle. I¡¯m in charge of all the lord¡¯s horses. ¡± ¡°I-it is my pleasure to be a-acquainted with you, sir. I¡¯m Maximilian¡­ Ca-Calypse.¡± Max muttered in a quiet voice, timidly avoiding the eyes of the servants. Riftan grabbed her hand, and they climbed the stairway without looking back. The castle looked even more dreary upfront. Usually, the staircases leading up to the great hall would be ornately decorated. But there was not a single decoration to be found. The estate¡¯s garden was bare, with one lifeless tree bearing neither fruit nor leaves. The inside of the castle was simr to the outside and equally deste. Max followed Riftan into the monotonous hall and shivered. The air inside the castle was chilly that there was little difference from the outside wind. The floor was littered with non-marble bs, some broken and others chipped. An old chandelier on the ceiling emitted a faint glow, of which seemed to die out immediately. There wasn¡¯t even a carpet on the central staircase leading from the main entrance to the great hall. ¡°What happened here?¡± Riftan walked back to the center of the hall and looked around. The servants who followed behind him in a line turned pale-faced. ¡°Did I not send a messenger bearing instructions to decorate my castle before my return?¡± ¡°I did as youmanded me, lord. I ced a new carpet in the parlor and brought in a lot of new furniture, oils, and expensive candles¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked for; I wanted it to look more luxurious!¡± Riftan¡¯s voice raised an octave. He shook his head in frustration and continued. ¡°D*mn it! I sent more than enough gold coins. Tell me then, did you spend all of that money decorating the castle?¡± The older adult expressed his embarrassment. ¡°Well, we couldn¡¯t spend that much money on our own. Not without asking our lord¡¯s permission¡­¡± ¡°In the message, I told you to leave it up to the butler¡¯s discretion! What in the hell is this?!¡± The fiery Riftan pushed passed the servants into the dark, chilly castle interior. His servants shuffled about nervously looking at one another. It was without a doubt that everyone would think that Calypse castle was neglected. The stair railings had rungs missing, and the windows were covered with a yellowish, faded film instead of clear ss. ¡°D*mn it..¡± Riftan cursed. ¡°This castle fell apart with its master gone.¡± ¡°Lord, I did my best to decorate the castle asmanded. We changed the beds and renovated the old furniture so you could rest when you returned¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s your excuse now?¡± ¡°Ri-Riftan! I-I w-want to rest here¡­¡± Max couldn¡¯t stand this tense atmosphere, so she pulled at Riftan¡¯s sleeve. The moment Riftan looked down at her worried face, he dragged her close and hugged her tight with both arms. Max was so surprised; her knees almost gave out. Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read the following advanced chapters: Mother Earth ¨C 2 chapters for $2.99 Chapter 33 ¨C Eyes Only On Me (1) Chapter 34 ¨C Eyes Only On Me (2) Beautiful Venus ¨C 5 chapters for $4.99 Chapter 35 ¨C Maxi Don¡¯t Fall Asleep Chapter 36 ¨C Lady of the Castle Chapter 37 ¨C Castle Calypse (1) Blue Mercury ¨C 8 chapters for $9.99 Chapter 38 ¨C Castle Calypse (2) Chapter 39 ¨C The Inexperienced Knight (1) Chapter 40 ¨C The Inexperienced Knight (2) Intriguing Pluto ¨C 11 chapters for $15.99 Chapter 41 ¨C Wee Feast (1) Chapter 42 ¨C Wee Feast (2) Chapter 43 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (1) zing Sun ¨C 15 chapters for $25.99 Chapter 44 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (2) Chapter 45 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (1) Chapter 46 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (2) Chapter 47 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (1) Glowing Sirius ¨C 20 chapters for $45.99 Chapter 48 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (2) Chapter 49 ¨C Am I Dreaming (1) Chapter 50 ¨C Am I Dreaming (2) Chapter 51 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (1) Chapter 52 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (2) The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99 Chapter 53 ¨C Take Me Closer (1) Chapter 54 ¨C Take Me Closer (2) Chapter 55 ¨C His Departure to the Capital (1) Chapter 56 ¨C His Departure to the Capital (2) Chapter 57 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (1) Chapter 58 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (2)We rmend pledging May 1st to avoid being charged twice. In the meantime, have browse at our Table of Contents Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 33: Eyes Only On Me (1) Chapter 33 ¨C Eyes Only On Me (1) Riftan then hoisted Max from the ground, making her exim in surprise. ¡°Ri-riftan!¡± ¡°Stay still. I know you are exhausted.¡± ¡°P-put me down! I can walk!¡± Riftan stubbornly carried her up the stairs, pretending not to hear a word of what she said. Upon reaching the top, arge hall covered with reddish-brown carpets greeted them. The path leads to arge oak door. Riftan walked across the hall and suddenly stopped in front of the wooden doors. He gently put her down, steadying her with one hand, and pushed the massive entrance open with the other. ¡°I hope this room is more to your taste¡­¡± he quietly said. Max looked around the room curiously, walking over the spacious bed in the center. It was a neat and cozy square. In the middle of the room was a wooden column holding up the ceiling, ancient-looking glyphs inscribed on it. Large, arched windows framed one side of the room, and on the opposite side, a firece burned brightly with a warm fire. Running her hands along the veil hanging off the side of the bed, she discovered that the luxurious bed frame was made of cherrywood. Thickyers of wool nkets were carefully piled on top. The servants must have paid particr attention to this room. ¡°You think it¡¯s shabby, don¡¯t you?¡± Riftan asked with a worried look on his face. Max looked at him, bewildered and self-conscious. He grabbed her hand and groaned, ¡°Curse it! And the servants tried so hard¡­¡± ¡°What? Oh, no! W-what a beautiful room. This ca-astle is wonderful¡­and the bed is beautifully prepared.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me. Did you forget that I recently visited the Croix caste? Compared to your father¡¯s fortress, this is more like a fucking barn.¡± Max felt horror. ¡°No! That¡¯s not true¡­¡± Max tried to find the right words to appease him, but Riftan¡¯s facial expression remained twisted. Perhaps he thought she was only speaking empty words to satisfy him in this situation. She med herself again; not once could she say the right thing. When she hesitated, unable to find the proper words, Riftan shook his head and looked equally embarrassed. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s the madam¡¯s job to adorn this ce, anyway. When the lord is away, it bes the job of thedy of the house to manage the castle.¡± ¡°I¡­I apologize.¡± ¡°Curse it! What I want to say is¡­ what if we design this ce your way? I have enough gold, so you can buy whatever you like. You can even demand craftsmen for ornaments of your fancy. If you want to buy expensive textiles and silver, that¡¯s fine too. I will pay for all the expenses¡­ for the things you want.¡± Max was surprised by his bold suggestion. She was ignorant of what to expect and what she should do as his wife. Riftan continued to speak in a slightly excited tone. ¡°Women like to beautify things, right? You can hire seamstresses and craftsmen to aid you that it won¡¯t be too much of a chore.¡± Max saw the enthusiasm on his face and felt cold sweat run down her back. Her grandmother had tried to teach her what a noblewoman should do and how she should manage her husband¡¯s domain, but Max hadn¡¯t paid attention because she never thought she would have the chance to use the advice. Theoretically, books told her what needs to be done, but there was never a moment to put it into practice¡­ until now. Max wasn¡¯t entirely confident that she would be able to do it. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± When Max didn¡¯t answer him, Riftan squinted his eyes. She shook her head, nervously. Not only did she fear to utter the words she loathed decorating¡­ but even worse was that he would discover she was ill-informed on such matters, and how she was not suited for ady¡¯s job. Max realized she didn¡¯t want to say anything that would make Riftan think less of her. After several days of traveling together, Max had noticed that Riftan Calypse had no idea of how she was treated in Croix Castle. He firmly believed that Maximilian was a highly educateddy who was used to luxury and pampering. He would do his best to treat her in the manner to which she was ustomed. With such misunderstanding, Max became increasingly anxious. She suddenly grasped that he had likely taken this belief from her father. The Duke of Croix had hidden her away in the depths of the castle so that no one would know his daughter had a stutter. Doing so, he wanted people to believe it was an act to protect his sick child. And in time, she became known as a sickly noblewoman whom the Duke pampered. From his actions, it was perchance that Riftan believed in that rumor. Max didn¡¯t understand why the illusion hadn¡¯t been broken when he could now see with his own eyes that she was not well educated and was a rather insignificant woman¡­ but she wanted to continue living in the illusion as long as possible. She knew she would be upset the moment he discovers the truth. It would be too unfair, shameful, and even brutal, to suffer for three years on the battlefield, only to find out that the woman you had just married was a fake and not at all what or whom you had imagined. His attitude towards himself would surely change. Chapter 34: Eyes Only On Me (2) Chapter 34 ¨C Eyes Only On Me (2) Max apprehensively sped her hands. She felt terrible just imagining that Riftan might despise her or, even worse, feel sorry for her. Knowing it was disgraceful, she still wanted him to think of her as that sophisticated noblewoman for a bit longer. Max nodded awkwardly, instead of telling him that she didn¡¯t know how to manage servants, or that she had never spent a lot of money to buy things, and that she had never learned how to handle such a grand castle¡­ she would stretch the lie for today. ¡°If-if you want¡­¡± Riftan¡¯s face instantly rxed and became noticeably brighter. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the butler to give you the books right away. Don¡¯t worry about how much it will cost. You can purchase to your heart¡¯s content.¡± Riftan gently stroked her tousled hair with his fingers. ¡°This¡­ is your home now.¡± Your home. Such unexpected words pierced Max¡¯s heart painfully, and she almost stopped breathing. Her heart pounded against her chest. Maybe he didn¡¯t mean anything by it, that it was just something he said in passing or a strange whim. Whatever it was, Max didn¡¯t want to dwell on it. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll make it as cozy as possible¡­ for us.¡± ¡°All right.¡± The good man gave her a satisfied smile. The next moment, he gently pressed his lips over her cheek, and Max shook her head awkwardly. She was suddenly aware of how it was only the two of them in the bedroom. Not having a proper shower or change in a few days, Max was swiftly conscious of her image. She gently pushed him away. ¡°Ah, I-I¡­ want to take a b-bath¡­¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He turned his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell the maids toe and prepare the bath.¡± Then he went out and ordered the servants to bring warm water for the bath and a fresh change of clothes for her. Max took off her disheveled cloak and ced it carefully at the chair in the corner. After a while, four maids came into the room withrge wooden tubs. While hot water was being poured on therge basin, Riftan took off his armor andid it on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll call you if we need anything else. Please make sure we have something to eat after the bath.¡± ¡°Yes, lord. I¡¯ll put your clothes right here.¡± As the maids went outside, Riftan threw the tunic stained with sweat and dust over his head. Then he swiftly untied his pants. Max panicked and turned around, but Riftan walked to her and started to unknot the straps of her dress. ¡°Ri, Riftan!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s bathe together,¡± his voice suddenly sounded husky in her ears. Max shuddered at the touch of his hands on her bare back. Hebed her messy hair with his hands andid it over one shoulder to reveal her slender neck. And then, his tongue was over her skin. ¡°You taste salty¡­¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t! I¡¯m dirty¡­¡± Despite her protest, Max¡¯s shoulders rxed as his soft lips traced kisses on the back of her neck. He turned her body around to face him, but she couldn¡¯t look at his naked body and closed her eyes. There was a bizarre, new sensation she felt, and she was mortified of it. ¡°Can you please stop looking at me like that?¡± He said, lifting her chin with one hand. ¡°I am aware I am not as elegant or slender as the son of a distinguished noble, but¡­ I¡¯m not that terrible¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not terrible! Not at all!¡± Max opened her eyes in disbelief. There was a look of despair on Riftan¡¯s orbs ncing down at her. His ck pupils reminded her of a wild, but a deste animal. Is this man truly not aware of his beauty? It made no sense! ¡°I-I¡¯m just not used to this,¡± she said, wanting to break the misinterpretation. ¡°It¡¯s normal for couples¡­ to bathe together,¡± Riftan said in a low voice. ¡°Normal¡­?¡± ¡°In all the castles I¡¯ve visited, all the lords and theirdies bathed together.¡± Riftan then grinned and pulled down the bodice of her dress. She was about to ask him how he knew that, but she shuddered when she felt the cold air touch her skin. The warmth of the firece gently enveloped her sensitive body. ¡°It¡¯s not strange at all.¡± He continued, ¡°There exists a custom in the north. Whenever a nobleman or a knight visits, they must bath with the castle¡¯s hostess.¡± He gently rubbed her shoulders in persistent effort to persuade her. Max¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°D-do I have to do that¡­?¡± she said. ¡°Oh¡­ no.¡± A beautiful but terrifying smile spread across Riftan¡¯s face. ¡°If anyone else ever asked you of that, I would make him bathe in the Stemnu river¡­ You only need to think about me. Come here¡­¡± Riftan put his muscr arms around her waist and hoisted her gently into the bathtub with him, water spilling onto the floor upon their descent. Max hugged her knees close to her body, trying to hide her nakedness with futile efforts. Riftan brazenly sat down with his naked body openly disyed to her, as if he was a man who didn¡¯t know what shame was. ¡°Is it too hot?¡± he asked. ¡°I-it¡¯s fine.¡± she hurriedly answered. Max sat with her knees bent up to her chin to avoid touching his long legs. Looking at her efforts on distancing themselves, Riftan grabbed her by the arm and sat her on hisp. Max immediately cried in surprise, ¡°Ri-riftan!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wash you.¡± He simply said, reaching out for the soap on the shelf. Max urgently tried to get up from hisp, but Riftan had his arms wrapped around her waist like a snake. He began tother soap over her shoulders and neck slowly. ¡°I-I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°You can wash me too. If you like.¡± Riftan be making his moves¡­ boi aren¡¯t you smooth? And double chapter update for today! Chapter 35: Maxi Don't Fall Asleep Chapter 35 ¨C Maxi Don¡¯t Fall Asleep Riftanthered his right hand with soap and rubbed her bossom gently in a circr motion. It wasn¡¯t an unpleasant sensation, but out of modesty, Max pulled back. This, however, didn¡¯t stop his hand from wandering. Max closed her eyes as she felt him squeeze her right buttock. He continued tother soap on her body and massage her muscles while he carefully washed the long hair tumbling around her shoulders, tangled like a vine. Slowly, her stiff and aching body began to rx. ¡°Wash my hair too.¡± He said as he rinsed off the foam on her head. Max¡¯s tired eyes were half-closed, and when she didn¡¯t respond, Riftan picked up the bar of castile soap and started rubbing it over his hair. He lowered his head to make it easier for her to reach over and massage his scalp. As Max came closer, she felt his hot breath hit her face. Somewhat embarrassed, Max started to wash his hair with timid movements. To her surprise, Riftan moved forward, slowly licking the water droplets on her vicle with his tongue. Max suddenly had a shback to her childhood when she would sneak out to the garden and y with her father¡¯s big hunting dog. Washing Riftan now was an all too familiar experience of bathing her father¡¯s dog who would lick her face. ¡°You got soap in my eyes.¡± Riftanined and rubbed the soap from his face with his hands. Max almostughed at his action. She found it¡­ almost adorable. She continued to scoop water into thedle and rinsed the foam off his hair as he picked up the kettle on the shelf and poured more hot water into the bathtub. With every minute in the warm bath, Max¡¯s overworked muscles felt morenguid. She could feel herself begin to doze off and soon enough, her shoulders submerged deeper into the water. In her lethargy, Max could still feel both anticipation and nervousness from the hands that were roaming her body. She couldn¡¯t deny it felt good. ¡°Maxi.¡± In her ears, she heard azy moan, like a cat¡¯s contented purr. Riftan leaned her head against his chest, seeing her droopy frame. Feeling a ticklish yet burning sensation running down her body, she leaned against him as well, his beating heart sounding like a calm luby to her ears. As she listened to the sound, her eyelids became felt heavier. ¡°Maxi¡­ Are you asleep?¡± Riftan said, seeing the girl motionless on his arms. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Really? Did you just fall asleep?¡± Max barely felt herself being carried out of the bathtub. As the cold air hit her wet body, she shivered unconsciously. Max felt someone dry her wet hair and body and then covered her with a warm, slightly fragrant, nket. Throughout, she could feel theforting heat of the fire as it continued to burn. Thest thing she remembered was Riftan¡¯s enthusiasm to caress her body. *** Max suddenly stirred, feeling the chill, and awoke to her head cold and hair damp. Rubbing her eyes, she could hardly lift her body out of the bed as the frigid air enveloped her. Max looked down at her naked body, barely covered by the cashmere nket. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t remember what had happenedst night or rather in the early morning. ¡°Of course, we arrived in Anatol yesterday¡­¡± While taking a bath with Riftan, Max recalled falling asleep from the weariness that settled after she looked around in wonderment that was her new home. However, the room was empty, saved for her in the wide bed. But then she saw Riftan¡¯s robe draped near the firece where only ashes remained. Max sat up and quickly noticed a change of clothes of what appeared to be an apron folded on the shelf next to the window. She wrapped the sheet around her body and got out of bed and stood on her tiptoes, trying to reach the high shelf, when suddenly, there was a knock on the door. ¡°Yes? Yes?!¡± Max replied in a confident voice that sounded strange, even to herself. A soft voice replied through the other side of the door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, madam. I need to add some firewood¡­¡± ¡°Oh, of course. I¡­I¡¯m awake. Y-you cane i-in.¡± Upon her affirmation, a tall andnky maid opened the door and walked in. Although she was not a youngss, she had that mixture of youth and confidence oozing from her. Max guessed she was about thirty years old. ¡°I¡¯m Rudys Ain, at your service, madam.¡± ¡°Ma-maximilian Cal-calypse. I-It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. ¡± Even when Max was stuttering, the maid responded in politeness and calmly said, ¡°I heard that you arrived veryte and didn¡¯t manage to have dinner yesterday. Would you like me to prepare a meal?¡± Max couldn¡¯t even have guessed she was famished. Everything had happened too fast in front of her eyes. Remembering her current improper state of clothing, Max hurriedly said, ¡°Before that, I need to get dressed.¡± ¡°Please wait for a minute, madam. I¡¯ll aid you in changing,¡± the maid suddenly offered. ?????? Hello there! If you want to support this novel, please leave a review on its Novelupdates page. Also join our discord channel (click link above site to be redirected) to meet a lovely, growingmunity for this novel where we share fanarts, discussions and some spoilers for the novel. Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read in advance: Mother Earth ¨C 2 chapters for $2.99 Chapter 36 ¨C Lady of the Castle Chapter 37 ¨C Castle Calypse (1) Beautiful Venus ¨C 5 chapters for $4.99 Chapter 38 ¨C Castle Calypse (2) Chapter 39 ¨C The Inexperienced Knight (1) Chapter 40 ¨C The Inexperienced Knight (2) Blue Mercury ¨C 8 chapters for $9.99 Chapter 41 ¨C Wee Feast (1) Chapter 42 ¨C Wee Feast (2) Chapter 43 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (1) Intriguing Pluto ¨C 11 chapters for $15.99 Chapter 44 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (2) Chapter 45 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (1) Chapter 46 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (2) zing Sun ¨C 15 chapters for $25.99 Chapter 47 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (1) Chapter 48 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (2) Chapter 49 ¨C Am I Dreaming (1) Chapter 50 ¨C Am I Dreaming (2) Glowing Sirius ¨C 20 chapters for $45.99 Chapter 51 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (1) Chapter 52 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (2) Chapter 53 ¨C Take Me Closer (1) Chapter 54 ¨C Take Me Closer (2) Chapter 55 ¨C His Departure to the Capital (1) The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99 Chapter 56 ¨C His Departure to the Capital (2) Chapter 57 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (1) Chapter 58 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (2) Chapter 59 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (1) Chapter 60 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (2) Chapter 61 ¨C Currency Talks (1) Be a Patron now or have a browse of our Table of Contents. Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 36: Lady of the Castle Chapter 36 ¨C Lady of the Castle The maid picked up the firewood from the basket she carried, tossed it into the firece, stabbed it a few times with a poker before hanging wet clothes a few feet above it. Not far from where she stood, Max could be seen quivering in cold. She was only wearing linen drawers, her body d in nothing but a thin cloth. Starting on her tasks, the maid poured hot water into a small basin and dropped an amount of perfume oil in it. She then dipped a piece of clean cloth and gently wiped her mistress¡¯ face, neck, and arms. Afterward, she handed Max a gorgeous skirt that reached the top of her ankle. It suited her. Dressed in the elegant dress with the intricately embroidered patterns, Max looked stunning¡ªthe sunshine-like golden dress, with butterfly wings on its sleeves, was every bit as beautiful as Rosetta¡¯s. ¡°Is it too tight?¡± Rudys asked thoughtfully, tying a red chest strap under her swollen chest. Max shook her head, her eyes trained on the image reflected in the mirror on the wall as she did so. As she was in high spirits, her pale face looked brighter, and her reddish-brown hair, which always seemed messy and tousled, looked surprisingly elegant in this beautiful, golden dress. ¡°Would you like me to braid your hair?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± As she sat in the chair by the window, the maid tilted the mirror, adjusting its position for Max¡¯s view. Not long after, she grabbed an ivoryb and brushed Max¡¯s hair carefully, her hands gliding between the intertwined locks and tresses. Max looked out the window and listened to the sounds that resonated inside the room. She couldn¡¯t help but staren at the steep, gray walls that seemed to reach all the way to the sky. ¡°Would you like me to bring you some food?¡± She wasn¡¯t famished still and would rather venture around the castle more. But somehow, she felt reluctant in expressing her desire¡ªa trait she inherited from her previous situation. But on the corner of her mind, her freedom finally came to realization. There was no half-sister here to look down on her nor a father to hurt her. She could go anywhere freely. Hence, she defiantly raised her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll eatter¡­¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Rudysid down theb having braided her hairpetently and quickly. As a final touch, she brought Max her pair of shoes and slipped it onto her dainty feet. Max gazed at herself in the mirror. She wasn¡¯t used to having a maid help her dress like this. What would Riftan think? ¡°B-by the way, w-where is Riftan?¡± ¡°¡­The Lord has been out since dawn.¡± The maid responded with a slight irritation in her voice. ¡°Do you need him for anything?¡± ¡°Oh, just¡­¡± Max shook her head, not knowing why she was asking. The feeling of being excited for a moment from wearing pretty clothes faded as quickly as it hade. Like a lie which filled her with a flicker of shame. ¡°Ah, ah, no um¡­no.¡± She answered in an unstable voice that even she had hated to hear. Max could notprehend the shame the maid made her feel. Rudys hurried out of the room¡ªembarrassment written on her face. ¡°Madam, ma¡¯am, let me guide you to the dining hall.¡± Rudys was nervous but Max just nodded in acquiesce. Even so, she was grateful that the maid treated her respectfully. ¡°This way¡­ ¡± Rudys led her to the stairs. She looked around the castle that she had seen for the first time just the day before. The gray walls and arched windows give the ce a solid and tremendous beauty. Sunlight pouring from the window casted a light shadow on the floor. She stepped out into the room and narrowed her eyes. The town of Anatol was very different from what she saw in the darkness ofte evening. Yesterday, It had seemed dreary and bleak and rather old-fashioned. But now it was no less than a King¡¯s castle straight out of a fairy tale. Is there any special food you prefer, or dislike?¡± ¡°Oh, just¡­ . ¡± She blurted out words which in hesitation, suddenly died in her throat. An awkward look shed across the maid¡¯s face which caught Max¡¯s notice. Is shementing the fact that she has to serve someone as difficult as me? A sense of inferiority rushed over her. Nheless, she shook off the negative thoughts and followed the maid into the kitchen. A long cherry-wood tabley in the middle of a spacious dining room. As she approached, one of the servants on the other side of the room quickly pulled out a chair. ¡°Did you sleep well, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°Yes, I slept well.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t introduce myself yesterday, because I didn¡¯t want to bother you. I¡¯m Rodrigo Seric. I oversee all the servants of this castle. ¡± She nodded and found out that he was the old man who had yelled at Riftan yesterday. ¡°N¡­ Nice to meet you.¡± As politely as possible, Rodrigo bowed. ¡°I will serve you with all my heart. If you need anything, feel free to tell me.¡± ¡°Oh, which made me think, yes-yesterday, t-the lord¡­. he told me I c-could decorate the c-castle¡­¡± ¡°In fact, early this morning, Lord Riftan asked me to assist you in any way possible. We¡¯re nning to call the merchants to the castle soon, but would you like to take a look around in advance to get familiar with the Lord¡¯s property?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ yes please.¡± ?????? Hello there! If you want to support this novel, please leave a review on its Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read in advance: Mother Earth ¨C 2 chapters for $2.99 Chapter 37 ¨C Castle Calypse (1) Chapter 38 ¨C Castle Calypse (2) Beautiful Venus ¨C 5 chapters for $4.99 Chapter 39 ¨C The Inexperienced Knight (1) Chapter 40 ¨C The Inexperienced Knight (2) Chapter 41 ¨C Wee Feast (1) Blue Mercury ¨C 8 chapters for $9.99 Chapter 42 ¨C Wee Feast (2) Chapter 43 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (1) Chapter 44 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (2) Intriguing Pluto ¨C 11 chapters for $15.99 Chapter 45 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (1) Chapter 46 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (2) Chapter 47 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (1) zing Sun ¨C 15 chapters for $25.99 Chapter 48 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (2) Chapter 49 ¨C Am I Dreaming (1) Chapter 50 ¨C Am I Dreaming (2) Chapter 51 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (1) Glowing Sirius ¨C 20 chapters for $45.99 Chapter 52 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (2) Chapter 53 ¨C Take Me Closer (1) Chapter 54 ¨C Take Me Closer (2) Chapter 55 ¨C His Departure to the Capital (1) Chapter 56 ¨C His Departure to the Capital (2) The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99 Chapter 57 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (1) Chapter 58 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (2) Chapter 59 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (1) Chapter 60 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (2) Chapter 61 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (1) Chapter 62 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (2) Be a Patron now or have a browse of our Table of Contents. Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 37: Castle Calypse (1) Chapter 37 ¨C Castle Calypse (1) Max wondered if the butler was frowning when he heard her stutter. Making no notice of it, Rodrigo ced a silver cup and some utensils in front of her with a solemn face, but otherwise, he didn¡¯t show any other facial expression. Inwardly sighing with relief, she began to eat the food in slow bites despite being ravenous. Although she usually had a modest appetite, Max couldn¡¯t find herself to bring her spoon down. Only then did she realize she was quite hungry, having made the arduous journey to Anatol and not having eaten the night before. Or perhaps, it must be from the delicious food being served. She quickly finished the hearty bowl filled with meat soup and vegetables. She thered butter on freshly baked bread and even managed to finish a slice of meat pie. When she was replete, she washed the meal down with sweet cider and almost felt a little tipsy. ¡°Shall I bring out more food?¡± the butler said on one side. ¡°I-I¡¯m finished now, thank you.¡± She delicately wiped her mouth with a napkin and rose from the table. When she left the dining hall, Rodrigo joined her and continued his guided tour around the castle. ¡°Castle Calypse was built 150 years ago by Sir Anatol, a knight of the fallen Roem empire. At the copse of the Roem empire, numerous monsters began to appear frequently in this area, and it inevitably slipped out of the rulership of the Seven Countries. Forty years ago, for geographic reasons, thisnd became part under the rulership of Whedon, but in the early days there were not many residents. Therefore, with the area left unattended, monsters naturally thrived in turn.¡± Rodrigo traversed the hall and continued retelling the history of Anatol. ¡°But ten years ago, the eighteen-year-old Sir Riftan Calypse, who had just been knighted, came to be the Lord of Anatol.¡± His steps slow, his voice took on a more stirring tone, ¡°The Lord not only repaired the castle extensively, but he even rebuilt the walls to guard thend. Thanks to his strong andmitted defense against the monsters and from an invasion of evil spirits, the number of people in this area has nearly tripled.¡± The butler¡¯s story was gripping, and his voice was awe-inspiring. Despite his outburst in front of the servants the previous day, it was impossible to question his loyalty to Riftan. ¡°But¡­ I seem to be more focused on the outside of the castle, the grounds¡ªI guess the practical aspects of Castle Calypse. So the interior is a little dreary,¡± Rodrigo added, clearly embarrassed, which made Maxugh awkwardly; this was a problem she was to be tasked with solving. ¡°H-how many r-rooms are there?¡± she inquired. Since there was no choice in the matter, she might try her hand at it now. ¡°There are over a hundred rooms in this part of the castle alone. There are about forty rooms in the annex and castle¡¯s tower, and another 250 rooms, including the guards¡¯ quarters and the knights¡¯ rooms.¡± On the mention of the sheer number of rooms to be her responsibility, Max felt instantly weary. How could she possibly decorate all of those rooms? While locked in her inner turmoil, Rodrigo had yet to finish¡­ ¡°And there are five main reception rooms, two banquet halls, two libraries and a tea salon on each floor¡­ none of which have been used in all these years.¡± Rodrigo apologized profusely with a deep bow. ¡°The knights don¡¯t enjoy tea at all, so I¡¯m not even sure why I even go to the market to select the best tea leaves.¡± Max imagined Riftan sitting in front of the tea table, holding a small cup, and a chuckle almost rose from her. Indeed, she couldn¡¯t imagine the knights or Riftan, for that matter, enjoying tea. Instead, it would surely be a mug of strong beer. ¡°Does Lord Riftan like tea?¡± Then he cautiously added, ¡°Do you drink tea together, madam¡­?¡± Max sported a faint blush at the mention of her husband¡¯s name. ¡°H-he likes it.¡± ¡°Then, I shall tell the waiter to prepare refreshments upon his return. And of course, only the best tea leaves for the masters of this castle.¡± ¡°I-I-I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± A soft smile made the older adult¡¯s wrinkled face seem younger. At this gentle disy, Max also rxed. Rodrigo seemed to be a good person. ¡°Then, I will continue the tour around the castle.¡± He continued to speak as they walked down the stairs. ¡°As you already know, the dining hall is located next to the main reception room on the first floor, and the women¡¯s quarters, of which your room located, is in the center of the third floor. The Lord¡¯s library is located at the north end of the third floor. The banquet halls and the guestrooms are on the second floor. Lastly, the fourth floor contains the castle¡¯s main library.¡± ¡°T-there¡¯s a library?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he nodded. ¡°The Lord has about 8,000 books on his shelves. Most dating from the Roem era¡­ would you like to visit the library, Madam?¡± Max hesitated for a moment. From the little knowledge she knew, books were extremely marketed to be expensive; what if she inadvertently tore a page or scratched the cover? For Riftan to think she was careless¡ªshe would detest the idea of it. Max shook her head instead. ¡°I-I¡¯ll go a-another time¡­¡± Rodrigo nodded without another question. ¡°I will show you the reception rooms and banquet halls next.¡± Max nodded dutifully. The reception rooms and banquet halls were the most important ces to greet outside guests. It would be better to check these areas first so she could grasp ideas on how to decorate them. She followed him into the banquet hall and opened her mouth in shock on their arrival. Not a single item was inside the spacious banquet hall. The cold air wafted from the floor to greet her, some even slipping through the cracked windows. ¡°Since we never had a banquet¡­¡± the butler started to murmur, clearly ufortable again. ¡°Ah,¡± Max tried to lighten the atmosphere. ¡°T-there must have been n-no reason to have g-guestse over¡­¡± ¡°Most of the castle¡¯s guests are knights, and they don¡¯t even stay long enough for a ball. They probably wouldn¡¯t even enjoy it, but they do drink a lot in the dining hall.¡± Rodrigo paused, thinking for a moment. ¡°We have never invited any nobleman to dinner. After spending plenty of money to repair the castle, for building the new walls, and reinforcing the drawbridge¡ªwe couldn¡¯t afford to host social functions.¡± Chapter 38: Castle Calypse (2) Chapter 38 ¨C Castle Calypse (2) Rodrigo sighed lightly. ¡°It seems, after so many years of neglect, the Lord seems to have forgotten a haven beyond nests of monsters and the bloody battlefield exists in this meager Castle¡ªsuch things are probably trifle to him.¡± Max inwardly vowed to herself that it wouldn¡¯t stay such. The nd room before her wille alive in a ze of colors and luxury, bing one of the the most coveted banquet halls in the continent. Nobility would fight tooth and nail only to gain an invitation to the elusive castle Calypse. ¡°P-please call the m-merchants as soon as possible,¡± she said, a resolution in mind. Rodrigo nodded fiercely, he could feel her determination and that impressed him. She surveyed the reception and guest rooms next, both quarters almost no different from the banquet hall. At the very least, the guest room was mildly amodating with its basic but dull furniture. Each room was equipped with sturdy beds and cleanforters, simple shelves lining the window for whatever the upant may deem to ce on it. There wasn¡¯t enough to scrutinize in the simply decorated room, so they continued down to the first floor to check the servants¡¯ quarters. ¡°The male servants live in a separate building, and the maids live in a lodging on the ground floor so that they can always respond to their master¡¯s call. If the madam requires of anything, you only need to ring the bell in the room, the maids wille right away¡ªeven in the middle of the night.¡± ording to Rodrigo, castle Calypse only employs 87 servants, a considerablycking force to manage a gargantuan fortress, the grounds and moats around. Yet, on the other hand, maybe it wasn¡¯t too small of a number considering that the owner had left it empty for such a long time. Different faces passed by before her as she was introduced by Rodrigo to some of the maids working in the castle. After acquainting with numerous faces she was bound to forget in the next day, they continued their tour towards the castle¡¯s kitchen. Unlike the former rooms that were dead and cold, the enormous kitchen was the opposite¡ªit was warm and full of activity. Max nced at therge firece on the left wall, the mes flickering beneath a potrge enough to be used as a bath. Even more so on the deer roasting over the open oven fire under the vent, or perhaps it must be the delicious scent making her focus on thetter. Her still, standing frame was a contrast against the shuffle of feet of the busy servants who were working tirelessly. Some were kneading bread, others peeling potatoes, cutting smoked meat onto tes and washing dishes, bowls stacked in heaps near the sink. ¡°The kitchen is the busiest ce in the castle. The servants have no time to rest as they prepare food for the knights and guards to eat. And because of the shortage of workers, almost all the servants of the castle have to be equipped on the kitchen whenever lunch or dinner approaches.¡± ¡°S-so that¡¯s why we didn¡¯t s-see the servants in the o-other rooms¡­¡± She swore to tell Riftan that he had to hire more servants. ¡°Would you like to see the annex now?¡± When she nodded, Rodrigo led her outside. Immediately, under the bright re of the sun, a lifeless garden greeted her. A lonely tree stood next to an unmanaged pavilion, the only life present in the ground the weeds that grew on the flower beds. She furrowed her eyebrows. Even if the Great Hall is considered as the Lord¡¯s pride, the garden manning the entrance to the main castle should still be emzoned. As the first thing that guests see, there should be an exorbitant, stunning disy of flowers enough to blind them. After all, first impressions leave asting impression. A secret was on her lips. The one thing she could be confident about was her eye forndscaping¡ªit had been her father¡¯s passion and that meant ingraining it on her as well. ¡®Even if I can¡¯t do that much this season, at the very least I should make certain we don¡¯t get ridiculed.¡¯ ¡°D-do we have a gardener?¡± ¡°The servants take turns cleaning the yard and garden¡­ but there are no official gardeners andndscape architects.¡± Rodrigo replied, wiping his foreheadced with cold sweat. Max knew the servants were not to me. It was usually the responsibility of the Lord and his Mistress to furnish the castle. Since Riftan had been on a lengthy expedition, the management should have fallen to her hands as his wife¡­ Yesterdays usations her husband had thrown at her suddenly flooded her mind like an inclement torrent. ¡°S-show me the annex, please.¡± ¡°Yes, madam. Come this way please.¡± Quietly following Rodrigo¡¯s instructions, they walked past the gray garden and along the small walkway on the left side of the Great Hall. Old oak trees provided them dense shade on the dirt road from the unforgiving heat. ¡°The annex was the primary residence of thete Sir Anatol¡¯s n, but now it has been remodeled and used as lodging for apprentices.¡± Max tilted her head curiously. ¡°D-does castle C-calypse have a-a lot of apprentice k-knights?¡± ¡°There are about thirty. After the Lord became the Knight Commander, many aristocrats sent their sons and daughters to train under his tutge. Upon the end of their apprenticeship, they are initiated as members of the Remdragon Knights.¡± The butler, who was leading the way, suddenly halted in his steps. They stopped close to a wide, open field at the end of the path. Boys, barely considered adults with their faces reflecting their youth, were all lined up, each of them wielding a wooden sword that looked harmless but Max knew would yield some damage. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the hour for training,¡± he then turned to her, asking for opinion. ¡°What shall we do, madam? Would you like to greet the apprentices?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ I d-don¡¯t want to d-disturb them. We can ce backter¡­¡± Sudden embarrassment sprout inside her from nowhere, and she suddenly stopped talking. Riftan¡¯s broad shoulders as he stood ramrod straight in front of the boys caught her eye. ¡°I guess the Lord was overseeing the training.¡± The butler also found himself standing under the shade of the tree and said in a tense voice. ¡°I believe it¡¯s a good idea to go back, madam. The lord doesn¡¯t like spectators to be present during training sessions.¡± ¡°Oh, then let¡¯s go.¡± She hoped the disappointment wasn¡¯t evident in her voice. As she turned back to the castle at Rodrigo¡¯s request, she felt the familiar rough palm of a man grab her delicate wrist. Double chapter updates <3> Hello there! If you want to support this novel, please leave a review on its Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read in advance: Mother Earth ¨C 2 chapters for $2.99 Chapter 39 ¨C The Inexperienced Knight (1) Chapter 40 ¨C The Inexperienced Knight (2) Beautiful Venus ¨C 5 chapters for $4.99 Chapter 41 ¨C Wee Feast (1) Chapter 42 ¨C Wee Feast (2) Chapter 43 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (1) Blue Mercury ¨C 8 chapters for $9.99 Chapter 44 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (2) Chapter 45 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (1) Chapter 46 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (2) Intriguing Pluto ¨C 11 chapters for $15.99 Chapter 47 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (1) Chapter 48 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (2) Chapter 49 ¨C Am I Dreaming (1) zing Sun ¨C 15 chapters for $25.99 Chapter 50 ¨C Am I Dreaming (2) Chapter 51 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (1) Chapter 52 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (2) Chapter 53 ¨C Take Me Closer (1) Glowing Sirius ¨C 20 chapters for $45.99 Chapter 54 ¨C Take Me Closer (2) Chapter 55 ¨C His Departure to the Capital (1) Chapter 56 ¨C His Departure to the Capital (2) Chapter 57 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (1) Chapter 58 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (2) The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99 Chapter 59 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (1) Chapter 60 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (2) Chapter 61 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (1) Chapter 62 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (2) Chapter 63 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (1) Chapter 64 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (2) Be a Patron now or have a browse of our Table of Contents. Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 39: The Inexperienced Knight (1) Chapter 39 ¨C The Inexperienced Knight (1) The force of the grab was enough to whip Max around. She was surprised to see Riftan staring at her with a puzzled expression, immediately sensing his gloomy mood. But she was sure he was supervising the boys in an exercise only a few minutes ago¡­ ¡°I would have interrupted the training session to introduce you to my apprentices if you had onlye up to me, why are you leaving without greeting me?¡± Max¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°I d-didn¡¯t want to b-bother you¡­¡± ¡°¡­ You never bother me.¡± He looked back at theds, with his hand still holding her wrist. The apprentices were all panting, sweaty and with carmine faces, having just done rigorous sprints up and down the field with their wooden swords. ¡°Two more repetitions and then you may rest! You can all take an hour off and resume training after,¡± Riftan shouted over the boys, already on the verge of kissing the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll rest at the Annex.¡± Then he took her hand in his and started walking with her towards castle Calypse. Max turned to Rodrigo with a flustered look, as if to apologize for abandoning him. Rodrigo, however, seemed to have no intention of following the couple. He just stood still, sping his hands together and bowing his head in deference. Riftan marched up the walkway without even sparing him a nce. ¡°How about a meal?¡± he asked out of the blue. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve a-already eaten¡­ I w-went to the dining hall earlier. The butler was sh-showing me around the castle, and we were on our way to the annex when we r-ran into you,¡± she stuttered, avoiding his gaze. It was not the time and ce, but her thoughts betrayed her¡ªconcocting the nerve-wracking caresses of the intimate bath they shared some time ago¡­ ¡°I-I¡¯m s-sorry for bothering you yesterday,¡± she blurted out. For reasons why she was internally admonishing herself, she was quite unsure. ¡°Bothering me?¡± The man slowed down and looked down at her again with a befuddled look. ¡°F-for f-falling asleep¡­ we couldn¡¯t have a meal together.¡± ¡°¡­You were exhausted from the long journey. There¡¯s no need to apologize.¡± Riftan responded curtly, starting his clipped steps again down the pathway. Panic flooded inside her chest as she hurried after him. Although he said everything was fine, she knew there was some agitation inside. ¡°B-but weren¡¯t you t-tired as well¡­ Since you d-did most of the w-work¡­¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t the least weary,¡± Riftan said elusively, faintly wanting to dismiss the matter. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re unceasingly so full of life.¡± ¡°What?¡± Riftan then sighed to himself, nowprehending the naivety of the women beside him¡ªshe simply hadn¡¯t understood how aroused he had been after the bath. Of course, he didn¡¯t want her to fall asleep. He had tried to keep her from sleep¡¯s grip, but she must have been truly drained from the travel. ¡°Nothing. You said you were looking around the castle? I¡¯ll be your guide this time.¡± ¡°A-all r-right¡­¡± The thoughts wondering if she had offended him trailed after her as she obediently followed him¡­ *** Riftan climbed across the garden wall and onto the rampart. He then leaned over and pulled her up onto the walls with him as if she was no heavier than a child. From their vantage point, they could see the expanse of rugged hills, steep cliffs, dark green vegetation dotted on the opposite slope and the looming walls that stretched to encase them. ¡°Every day thirty to thirty-five soldiers patrol the castle and survey the surroundings to check for sightings of monsters. If they see one, they sound the trumpet to alert other knights. When they hear the signal, the knights begin their preparations to subdue the monsters.¡± Listening to his exnation, she looked at the stronghold built on the high ground above the valley and observed its simple structure. A solid, high wall stood on all four sides. The dormitory and training facilities for the knights were next to the main gate, and a residence for the servants of the castle and annex were behind the second gate. Behind the building stood a reedy, tall tower that stretched to the skies like a spike. When she looked at it curiously, Riftan exined. ¡°Ruth resides in that tower. It¡¯s closer to the mountains, therefore a convenient ce for casting magic in case of an emergency.¡± A scowlced his features, he then turned to her and said, worry evident in his tone, ¡°Don¡¯t get close to it for any reason. In order to protect his research, Ruth installed oundish magic circles all over the ce, causing the asional trouble.¡± ¡°H-he¡¯s a magician?¡± She looked up at him again, bursting at the seams with childlike interest. When she was about to ask more questions, Riftan ended the conversation as quickly as he had started it. He walked along the patrol road towards the rear of the castle. Max followed beside him, sometimes casting furtive nces (she hoped) at the tower, hoping to see some kind of magic trick appear. ¡°You can see the stables over there, that¡¯s the barn, and that building is the food warehouse. The warehouse should always contain more than what is sufficient in case of any long and drawn out battles.¡± Riftan, who continued speaking monotonously, suddenly looked at her. ¡°Are you bored? I¡¯m not very good at this. I don¡¯t know how to treat a woman¡­¡± he suddenly disclosed. ¡°I¡¯m n-not b-bored¡­¡± herugh came a bit too high-pitched for her ears. She was quite aware how he was far from a ¡®cultured¡¯ man. She surmised he was one without passion for reading, and who frequentlycked engagement in refined conversations with noblewomen. Yet, it was also difficult to believe his inexperience with women¡ªunless he had suddenly turned into a man overnight. Is he insinuating then that in his twenty-eight years as a fine-looking man with a reputation for valor and strength enough to swoon the kingdom¡¯s beauties¡­ he had never been tempted by a woman? Chapter 40: The Inexperienced Knight (2) Chapter 40 ¨C The Inexperienced Knight (2) Max recalled stories of the knights who would visit castle Croix¡ªall of them geniuses in the matter of love. She couldn¡¯t count the times she heard maids, seduced by knights for a night¡¯spany, giggle as they reminisced about how some of the knights skillfully led them at seduction. It was impossible. She firmly believed Riftan must have had his fair share of rtionships with young maids or beautifuldies. Didn¡¯t Riftan also divulge to her that it was custom in the north for lords anddies to bath together? How would he know that information unless¡­ Max caught herself in time and halted her predilections for negative thoughts. No matter what he had done in the past, it didn¡¯t matter now. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re frowning.¡± ¡°Oh, th-the w-wind is a little cold¡­¡± Riftan bent over and embraced her into his arms, warming her body that had gone cold from the chill weather. The masculine aroma that invaded her senses almost stopped Max from breathing, that funny feeling settling in her once again. ¡°You should have worn thicker garments,¡± he said in a muffled tone above her head. ¡°It¡¯s a-all right. If the w-wind wasn¡¯t blowing so strongly, it would be fine¡­ the s-sun is warm¡­¡± ¡°Do you like it? I mean, the dress.¡± She looked down at her garb, too gorgeous to be worn by her. It would be strange to tell him that this was in fact the first time she had ever worn such pretty clothes. ¡°I d-do like it,¡± she said instead. ¡°I will have a seamstresse over so you can have as many dresses as you would like. I¡¯ll buy you hundreds of them.¡± Riftan grasped her chin lightly and lifted it up, intensely boring into her eyes with the solemn promise of extravagance. Max felt herself blush and turn warm¡ªwhy, this wasn¡¯t the behavior of a man unfamiliar dealing with women. She muttered as she looked down. ¡°Should I get u-used to this?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That you¡¯ll get me w-whatever I a-ask for.¡± Her blunt words caused Riftan to furrow his brow. ¡°I am serious. I told you before that I would go lengths to make sure you live as luxuriously as you did in your father¡¯s castle.¡± Max swallowed the dryugh that almost bubbled from her. How could she have lived a delectable life ofvishness¡ªnever had she been given what she desired, or even what a noblewoman needed. If he knew how erroneous his preconceptions were on her past life, would he be trying this hard? She felt as if she was deceiving him, and it made her feel insufferable, as if she was a viin. She mumbled slightly, avoiding his eyes. ¡°C-can we take a break?¡± ¡°Do you feel tired?¡± As she nodded, he stepped forward to lead her home. A strong wind was blowing from the north and swept through the trees covering the blueish hillside afar. Max stopped for a moment, inhaling the scent of pine, the mustiness of mushrooms. Would she smell this every day? Max, overlooking the majestic scenery, soon followed behind Riftan down and away from the sights. *** Riftan had to leave her again to oversee the training of the potential knights. She returned to the room alone, sitting in front of the firece to rx as Rudis brought ginger tea and sweets with dried fruits as snacks to replenish her. ¡°As you are going to have dinner with the knights this evening, would you like to change your clothes, madam?¡± Rudis said, refilling her empty cup. Max, after finishing a mouthful of dried fruits, looked up at the maid in confusion. ¡°Ch-change?¡± ¡°Yes, since you¡¯re meeting them for the first time as the lord¡¯s wife, I suggest it would be better to dress more formally.¡± She bowed her head with a tense face. ¡°I apologize if I overstepped.¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t¡­¡± Max grimaced as she gazed at her own reflection in the mirror leaning against the wall. The hair that Rudis had neatly brushed and twisted elegantly this morning had been ruined by the wind. She nodded, pulling out some pins and letting her wavy hair down as assent for the maid to do her magic on her locks a second time. ¡°A-all right¡­ please d-do.¡± Rudis went straight out of the room with the teapot and came back with a small jewelry box containing intricatebs, perfumed oils and fine ornaments. She sat in a chair in front of the mirror as Rudis first used ab to smooth the knots in of her hair. For a long time, she kept brushing, asionally adding a bit of the oil and then brushing again. Soon enough, all her efforts to tame her frizzy hair could be seen in Max¡¯s kempt and shiny hair. ¡°Shall we put in a hairpin? Or would you rather wear a crown?¡± Rudis opened the box full of jewelry. At the expensive trinkets that seemed to blind a person, Max¡¯s eyes opened wide as saucers. Emzoned brooches, pearl nes, gold rings, and silver hair pins were ced neatly on the red satin. And in a separate box was a stunning tiara. To her knowledge, Riftan¡¯s mother had died when he was young, and he had no sister, or other female rtive. So where did this alle from? Wasn¡¯t it a little too fast to be able to prepare such for a dinner, the day after arriving? She could only infer that these jewelries are items from his past lovers¡­ ¡°Madam, do you like any of these?¡± ¡°I-I do.¡± She stopped, feeling as if she was prying into someone else¡¯s domain, one she shouldn¡¯t step inside, and instead focused on picking out something, anything. ¡°This h-hair p-pin, please¡­¡± ¡°Yes, madam.¡± Rudis braided her hair tightly, rolling it around on one side, and fixed it with the silver hairpins decorated with colorful flowers. Then, she looped a pearl ne on her neck and a crystal ring on her finger. Max looked at the strange reflection of the woman with her coiffed hair and the jewelry that lit up her face. She didn¡¯t look herself¡­ daresay, she looked beautiful. The simplicity of her look brought out her features more. ¡°If you don¡¯t like the look, I can bring you other jewelry,¡± Rudis, who had been looking down at the many imperfections on her skirt, politely offered. Max shook her head. ¡°I-it¡¯s lovely. I¡¯ll go with th-this.¡± Rudis looked relieved. When they were ready to leave the room, she ced a thin, almost translucent shawl over her shoulders. Suddenly, twilight was falling outside the window. Double update for everyone! We¡¯re getting to know Riftan more and see some slight confidence from Max. Huhuhu Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read in advance: Mother Earth ¨C 2 chapters for $2.99 Chapter 41 ¨C Wee Feast (1) Chapter 42 ¨C Wee Feast (2) Beautiful Venus ¨C 5 chapters for $4.99 Chapter 43 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (1) 19 Chapter 44 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (2) 19 Chapter 45 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (1) 19 Blue Mercury ¨C 8 chapters for $9.99 Chapter 46 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (2) 19 Chapter 47 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (1) Chapter 48 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (2) Glowing Sirius ¨C 20 chapters for $45.99 Chapter 56 ¨C His Departure to the Capital (2) Chapter 57 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (1) Chapter 58 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (2) Chapter 59 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (1) Chapter 60 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (2) The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99 Chapter 61 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (1) Chapter 62 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (2) Chapter 63 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (1) Chapter 64 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (2) Chapter 65 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (1) Chapter 66 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (2) Be a Patron now or have a browse of our Table of Contents. Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 41: Welcome Feast (1) Chapter 41 ¨C Wee Feast (1) Shortly, another maid arrived to say, ¡°The lord is on his way, madam.¡± As she looked out the window, a familiar voice came from the other side of the room. She turned her head, half expecting to see Riftan, but it was Rodrigo who walked inside the room, dressed in his formal attire. ¡°All the knights have already arrived. Please follow me, madam, the lord is waiting.¡± Max descended the stairs alongside Rodrigo. Upon reaching the entrance to the dining hall, the din inside was immediately apparent. She stood still at the door, some hesitancy in ce as she stole a peek, she hoped was furtive, inside. Under the twinkling lights, some fifty men sat along the tables stretching towards the ends of the room. Heartily eating, loud talking, and drinking with mor. A warm ambiance was prevalent as a golden fire burned brightly in the firece, the legs of the table groaning with the weight of the scrumptious feast. Steaming meat dishes, sses full of red wine, bowls of potatoes, varieties of fruits and bread, all ced evenly across the table. Max felt ostensibly like an outcast, a peeking tom where she shouldn¡¯t be. Only men and the maids serving them were littered inside the hall. Was it genuinely adequate for her to barge into the room meant for the knights? ¡°Lady? Do you not want to go inside?¡± With Rodrigo¡¯s inquiry, Max gathered whatever courage she had and stepped into the room, the sounds of her footfall announcing her presence. The once noisy interior quieted as the dozen pair of eyes were instantly fixed on her. She found their scrutinizing gazes disquieting. She was even more uncertain where to ce herself in the throng of strangers. ¡°Maxi,e here.¡± Riftan gestured to her, a gesture she found warming, like a lighthouse guiding her. Max straightened her posture, emboldened inside her as she swiftly crossed the room to seat herself next to him. As soon as her bum hit the chair, the maids were quick to serve her some wine and bread. ¡°Everyone, I would like to introduce my wife, Maximillian Calypse.¡± She nces at the knights¡¯ faces before her nervousness probably disclosed by her face at the moment. They didn¡¯t look hostile, nor was there joy in their faces¡ªit seemed disinterest was the only prevalent wee to Riftan¡¯s deration. Thinking her introduction was over, Riftan unexpectedly addressed the assembled group in a somber voice. ¡°I hope that you will treat her well and with respect.¡± As if a spell had been broken, they all raised their sses towards Max, pping and cheering loudly. She tried to mumble her thanks to everyone, but her tiny voice was quickly drowned in the sea of baritones. With the pleasantries over, the knights soon returned to their meals and conversations about women and the battlefield. Max looked down at the food on her own silver tter that had been precariously piled high with different meats and potatoes of sizes¡ªthe sight making her lose her appetite quick. She surmised she wouldn¡¯t be able to finish more than a fraction of the heaping meal. Riftan poured some wine into her ss. ¡°Why are you just looking at your te? Aren¡¯t you going to take a bite? Or is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ I¡¯m sure it¡¯s d-delicious.¡± ¡°So dig in, then.¡± He urged her, stabbing a chicken¡¯s leg with his fork and cing it on her already full te. And then Riftan turned his attention back to his own tter. He tore off arge chunk of meat and ate it in one big mouthful, at the same time grabbing another piece of chicken with his other hand. He drank his wine like water, looking pointedly at Max as if teaching her how to eat her food properly. She timidly cut the steamed meat pie with some sweet sauce poured over it using a knife and popped a small piece into her mouth. With her picky pte, Max tried to bnce the oily meat with some pickled vegetables, also finding the beef well seasoned but tough to chew. Still, the food here was far superior to that served at castle Croix¡ªit was merely inimitable in quality. ¡°Try this too. It¡¯s delicious.¡± Riftan, who had been silently watching Max eat, wanted her to try some of his favorite dishes. She hesitantly took a bite of the unknown meat zed in a reddish sauce, finding it too fishy for her taste. But seeing Riftan¡¯s gaze trailed on her, she tried to finish it. But the man wasn¡¯t finished pampering her yet, as he took beans and potatoes after another her, taking the maid¡¯s responsibility to serve her. ¡°Now, try this too.¡± ¡°I c-can¡¯t eat thi-this much¡­¡± ¡°But you haven¡¯t even eaten anything yet?¡± He raised a brow and nudged the food on her tter with his fork, ¡°Try more of this too.¡± Why on earth was he trying to plump her like a chicken? Max looked like she was on the verge of tears, Riftan¡¯s only bemused. She couldn¡¯t help but feel nauseous just thinking about eating more greasy meat. ¡°A sparrow would eat more than you.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s not true. I-I ate a l-lot¡­¡± Riftan roared withughter. And Max felt how na?ve her statement was upon seeing the bones piled on his te. Compared to her husband, she really hadn¡¯t eaten anything. It was so that her appetite was inferior to all others in the hall. ¡°Th-then how much food is e-enough?¡± she asked him. Riftan chewed and looked down at her. He replied loudly, swallowing the food in his mouth. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to eat a whole chicken?¡± ¡°F-for a woman, I d-don¡¯t think so¡­¡± ¡°The women I knew ate that much.¡± The dismissed the past as insubstantial, yet the words still marred her for some reason. Who did this particr description belong to? Does he have a predilection for women with hearty appetites? Her sight unconsciously lowered down to her slim body. Men are always in need of healthy wives to produce able-bodied heirs. Max closed her eyes tightly and tried to force a little more food into her mouth. ¡°You should try eating a bit more. You already look so weak.¡± She nodded, her attention shifted to the home-baked bread instead of the meat. In the end, she was unable to resign herself. On her side, Riftan was now talking to an old knight and drinking arge goblet of wine with him. She took a sip of the red liquid filling her cup, admiring the coalescence of sweetness and sourness as she watched their interaction. Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read in advance: Mother Earth ¨C 2 chapters for $2.99 Chapter 42 ¨C Wee Feast (2) Chapter 43 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (1) 19 Beautiful Venus ¨C 5 chapters for $4.99 Chapter 44 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (2) 19 Chapter 45 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (1) 19 Chapter 46 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (2) 19 Blue Mercury ¨C 8 chapters for $9.99 Chapter 47 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (1) Chapter 48 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (2) Chapter 49 ¨C Am I Dreaming (1) zing Sun ¨C 15 chapters for $25.99 Chapter 53 ¨C Take Me Closer (1) Chapter 54 ¨C Take Me Closer (2) Chapter 55 ¨C His Departure to the Capital (1) Chapter 56 ¨C His Departure to the Capital (2) Glowing Sirius ¨C 20 chapters for $45.99 Chapter 57 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (1) Chapter 58 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (2) Chapter 59 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (1) Chapter 60 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (2) Chapter 61 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (1) The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99 Chapter 62 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (2) Chapter 63 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (1) Chapter 64 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (2) Chapter 65 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (1) Chapter 66 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (2) Chapter 67 ¨C Slowly Settling In (1)Be a Patron now or have a browse of our Table of Contents. Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 42: Welcome Feast (2) Chapter 42 ¨C Wee Feast (2) In addition to the knights who had apanied them on their trip, new and strange faces were present. In the middle of the long table, young knights were talking and drinking exuberantly as two older knights in their forties chatted with Riftan, even going as far as to challenge him to a drinking contest. Max continued to sip her wine, herck of conversing partner, making her unwittingly eavesdrop on their stories. Training progress of the apprentice knights, crop yields, amount of minerals mined, thetest and most effective weapons¡­ and of course, lurid ounts of theirtest exploits. Subjects she had never encountered were bantered about, and she didn¡¯t even understand the vocabry they used. Suddenly the youngest knight in the group stood up and cried.out ¡°Sir Calypse, is it really true that in the final battle of the Lexos Mountains, you stopped Dragon Breath with your sword?¡± All the knights who had been chatting and drinking now focused their attention on the boy. He was an apprentice knight with shiny white-blonde hair, who had until then just became one of the many other energetic young knights-to-be. ¡°I heard that Dragon Breath is the most powerful magic in the whole world! How did you stop the huge mes that can blow up a whole mountain?¡± The over-excited boy¡¯s questions visibly annoyed Riftan. ¡°My sword has unique qualities.¡± ¡°The captain¡¯s sword has a unique attribute that absorbs external magic and turns it into own. The stronger the opponent¡¯s power, the stronger is the captain¡¯s power,¡± exined Hebaron, whom Max distinguished as one of the knights that had apanied them on their trip. ¡°Well, even if we ignore the fact that he was born ridiculously strong, our captain is the best swordsman! He wasn¡¯t given the highest position amongst Oshira¡¯s divine knights for nothing!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not ¡®captain¡¯, but leader.¡± The blonde knight Uslin Rykaido, who had been quietly drinking, pointed out. ¡°Whether it¡¯s captain or leader¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. How long until you quit being a mercenary anyway?¡± Hebaronughed loudly. The white-blonde apprentice knight continued with his questions, ¡°Is it true that Sir Calypsepeted with Leon Quahel of the Divine Knights? Isn¡¯t that something to be boasted to the apprentice knights? I would be proud of the fact that I knew two of the greatest knights had had a duel.¡± The blonde knight Rikaido said poignantly. ¡°They kept the confrontation a secret. A lot of fights happen among knights. But we were there to y a dragon¡ªnot to point our swords at one another.¡± ¡°Still! It¡¯s such a waste that no one knows about the duel between the two most famous knights on the continent! It must have been a sight to see!¡± ¡°It was enough that the dragon was defeated.¡± Riftan, who was still listening to the conversation, finally said in a dry tone. ¡°And the confrontation at that time was not even a duel. Because we were amid the subjugation of the dragon, neither of us could show our skills¡­ For the dragon to be subdued¡ªthe sole reason for the sess was because of my mana absorption, not my swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Why are you acting so humble?¡± A young knight, who sat near the firece, said with some irritancy. ¡°Winning is winning. The terms were the same, and it was a duel done in a constrained scenario from the very beginning. It was fair, no matter how you look at it.¡± ¡°Lord Raxion! I want to hear more about the duel!¡± The apprentices all looked at him with glistening eyes, filled with excitement. Gabel shrugged, ¡°Are you more excited about this fight than the battle with the dragon?¡± ¡°Of course, we should also listen to the story of the expedition! The story of the dragon yer!¡± The boys¡¯ enthusiastic attitude made the knight grin with a pleased look on his face. Max also got swept up in all the exhration. She had overheard minstrels singing the great stories of knights, but she had never heard of their adventures first hand. The young knight moistened his lips with the golden ale from his cup and began to exin in great detail what had happened. Gabel was an excellent storyteller. From the day Riftan had subdued a group of ogres and trolls, to the story of him entering the Lexos Mountains, the struggle with the three Basilisks, Max¡¯s eyes were shining as brightly as those of the young boys. But when Max actually saw the monsters, she had been terrified. So why was it all so exciting now? Perhaps it was Gabel¡¯s eloquence on weaving the story. As she quietly admired his vivid descriptions and enjoyed the words that seemed toe to life, a fluttering touch was suddenly at the back of her neck. Quite startled, she turned her head to the source, the man who had gone quiet beside her. ?????? Prepare yourselves¡­ only smut chapters starting this friday to next week. Chapter 43: I Am Thirsty For You (1) 19 Chapter 43 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (1) 19 Riftan cradled her head on one of his hands, before his free hand trailed to the ne that rested around her neck. ¡°Wha- why are you¡­.¡± Max gasped, her words trailing off as his hand had moved down further from the ne to touch the bare skin above the plunging neckline of her dress. She looked around in embarrassment. Thankfully, everyone was too engrossed in their own conversation and not a single person had looked their way. She let out a shaky sigh of relief, before pushing his arm away, but he would not budge. Riftan fixed her with a deep look, the ze from the embers reflected in his dark eyes. He toyed with the few strands of loose hair that had flown down the back of her neck, lightly caressing the area around her shoulder bone with his fingertips. Her body trembled at the electric feeling she was experiencing, from her back down to her toes. His hand slowly winded down, from her back then to her waist, wrapping his arm around her. Max felt her face flush at the softness of the skin contact, Riftan¡¯s gaze never straying far from her face. ¡°Ri, Riftan¡­¡± she stuttered at him, and he let out another small smile. ¡°My wife seems to be tipsy so I shall take my leave first.¡± He said to the knights who were fully absorbed in conversation. The knights who were chatting just a moment ago looked at the two and gave them a look of understanding, if their knowing nces and suggestive winks sent their way were anything to go by. Max was certain her face was dyed a deep red and felt she could die on the spot from the sheer embarrassment she was feeling. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He whispered at her ear before he began to pull her away from the crowd and towards the entrance, ignoring the encouragement, catcalls, and whistles the knights gave them as they left. Max stumbled out of the dining hall after him as he pulled her away, her wrist grasped in his hand. They passed through avatory, cleaning their soiled hands from the feast before Riftan¡¯s footsteps rushed out again. She couldn¡¯t help but look around the change in scenery as they continued to walk away. Despite the wallmps shining light onto the outside hallway, some parts were still too dark for her to clearly see. She blinked her eyes as she tries to adjust at theck of brightness. Even the moonlight wasn¡¯t able to shed some light, thanks to the opaque ss of the windows. Still, it wasn¡¯t able to shelter her from the natural chill the night brought within the halls, sending shivers up her arms. ¡°Ri- Riftan¡­ just, just a bit slo-slower¡­¡± Max stuttered, but he didn¡¯t seem to be listening to her, as she still kept on tripping with him unashamedly keeping up with the fast pace. When it was clear he wasn¡¯t listening to her, she attempted to yank her arm away from his grip before she felt the air knocked out of her as her back hit the wall! She stifled a gasp as she saw Riftan trap her with his body. They stopped by the staircase, and Max could feel her quickening breaths, before she felt the air leave her body once more as Riftan connected their lips. The kiss was wild, full of teeth and biting, and possessiveness. She felt herself beginning to lose herself in the kiss, her grasp tightening on his arm, her nails digging into the cloth. It wasn¡¯t their first kiss, she¡¯d tasted him a number of times, but it still left her reeling with the rush of a first kiss every single time they would. Riftan moved from her lips, trailing wet kisses on her jaw, down to the side of her neck. He suckled on the soft skin, before he went back to her own mouth once more, and their tongues began to battle for dominance. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this all day,¡± Riftan muffled between kisses, ¡°Every time I saw you look at some other guy instead of me, I can barely contain myself in marking you for mine.¡± He growls at her, a feral sound in her ears. Max barely held back a moan as she felt the vibrations rumble at his chest. She was certain that by now her heart was beating so hard against her own chest, threatening to burst. His calloused hands moved up to the nape of her neck, pulling her further into him, if that was any more possible. He moved them up the stairs, taking one step at a time, still taking the sweet time to kiss her senselessly, never once breaking contact. She clung on to him in desperation and ecstasy, fear of falling and the promise of tonight making her head spin. Why is it that everytime he would touch her, she can¡¯t seem to think properly? Even when she knew he was once someone that made her ufortable, someone that made her scared? ¡°Damn it, why are the stairs so long.¡± He groaned in frustration, before his hands went up her skirt, caressing her thighs. Max let out an involuntary shriek at the touch. ¡°No! I don¡¯t¨CI don¡¯t want to¡­ in, in a ce like this¡­¡± she whined, gasping at the building sensations inside her, before her words were drowned in a searing kiss. Her arms clung on to his neck, her body shivering not entirely due to the chilly night air anymore. His fingers trailed up further her thighs, reaching the edge of her underwear, before slipping past it, finding her sweet spot. She could hear his ragged breaths right next to her ear. Her heart was thumping so loudly, it hurt as she felt more and more wanton by the second. ¡°I want to go inside like this.¡± She clung to his shoulder, digging her fingers deeper as she let out puffs of hot breath. She fiercely struggled, making herself flush deeper into his chest. Somehow, she was still lucid enough to fear someone could be watching them as they¡¯re hidden by the shadows. Another shiver went up her spine, whether from fear or passion, she could not tell anymore. His hot lips went back and forth her earlobes, neck and vicle while his firm fingers slowly rubbed on the tender skin. She moved as he had taught her ever since day one before Riftan mped his teeth on her skin and suckled hard till it hurt. He moved like a starved wolf who couldn¡¯t wait to eat the first prey he caught in ages. ¡°I can¡¯t bring myself to resist,¡± He mumbled against her skin, ¡°Even if I die, I¡¯ll want to do this tonight.¡± With hisst bout of strength for the day, he leaped up the remaining flight of stairs with great haste, as Max held onto his torso for dear life. As soon as they reached their room, he yanked the door open, before closing it almost immediately, tearing into her clothes, until her peaks were exposed clearly in the bright room. She muffled a scream as she stared at her heaving chest, all flushed and taut before he dived down, devouring her perk tips into the warmth of his mouth. ?????? Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read in advance: Mother Earth ¨C 2 chapters for $2.99 Chapter 44 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (2) 19 Chapter 45 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (1) 19 Beautiful Venus ¨C 5 chapters for $4.99 Chapter 46 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (2) 19 Chapter 47 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (1) Chapter 48 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (2) Blue Mercury ¨C 8 chapters for $9.99 Chapter 49 ¨C Am I Dreaming (1) Chapter 50 ¨C Am I Dreaming (2) Chapter 51 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (1) Glowing Sirius ¨C 20 chapters for $45.99 Chapter 59 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (1) Chapter 60 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (2) Chapter 61 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (1) Chapter 62 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (2) Chapter 63 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (1) The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99 Chapter 64 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (2) Chapter 65 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (1) Chapter 66 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (2) Chapter 67 ¨C Slowly Settling In (1) Chapter 68 ¨C Slowly Settling In (2) Chapter 69 ¨C Her First Kind Companions (1) Chapter 70 ¨C Her First Kind Companions (2)Be a Patron now or have a browse of our Table of Contents. Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 44: I Am Thirsty For You (2) | 19 Chapter 44 ¨C I Am Thirsty For You (2) 19 Max felt her mind going mush at the sensation, his hot tongue flicking the tip, swirling around it, grazing his teeth with great expertise. He suckled like a newborn babe, making her gasp as familiar heat pooled in her stomach. ¡°Rif-Riftan¡­¡± she gasped, hands unconsciously reaching out to grasp his head, uncertain whether pushing him closer or the opposite would cease the fire inside. ¡°Don¡¯t say you don¡¯t want it. Say it. Say you want me.¡± He demanded callously, staring at her with a gaze full of ardor that seemed to devour her. She felt her heart skip a beat under his intense orbs. ¡°I, I¡­¡± ¡°Let me fill you up,¡± he continued, sounding as if he was purring at her, ¡°Let me feel the warmth of your insides. I am like a man in a desert, dying of thirst. I¡¯m thirsty for you.¡± The desperation in his tone wasn¡¯t forgotten as he dove in for her lips once more, and her arms wounded automatically around his neck, as they both fell onto bed in a heap of tangled limbs and scattered clothes. Shame, excitement, fear, and ecstasy swept through her heart. Max was buried under sheets that surrounded her, making her feel as if she was floating up in clouds as she hazily epted his lips. He pulled out her hairpin, undoing her hair that she borately put up, her locks cascading down her face like waterfalls. When that was done, he moved down and pulled her skirt off of her. When the cool air brushed against her flushed, vulnerable body, she felt here back to her senses and began to sit up. ¡°First, first we have to wash up¡­¡± she excused, but he stopped her from sitting up further, and pushed her back down. ¡°So you can fall asleep again? Not a chance.¡± He cut her off any further excuse with another searing kiss and grabbed one of her peaks, his palms causing trembling sensations. The wet, soft lump of flesh was being squeezed, as he continued kneading the plump peaks. ¡°I¡¯ll wash youter so¡­¡± he tells her as he continues to mold her body to his specifications. She couldn¡¯t help but go along with it, following every sensation as she turned putty before his very eyes. She gasped in pleasure, limbs struggling to take a hold of the sheets as she tried to anchor herself to reality. He didn¡¯t stop his ministrations, relentlessly pulling and twisting the sensitive nub of her paks as she keened. She rubbed her thighs together, feeling something new making way into her gut as the heat intensified all the more. ¡°Fee, feels¡­. wei, weird¡­¡± she murmured She was iling harder than usual but she couldn¡¯t care less to feel embarrassed of how she writhed beneath him. Riftan moved his other hand, stroking her behind her ear, cradling her face, cing himself between her thighs and wrapped her legs around his waist. He hovered over her, his body dwarfing her petite frame, his hips moved closer to herher regions, before his clothed member rubbed against her entrance. Not right, something was missing. ¡°I feel like I can¡¯t breathe.¡± With his free hand, he swiftly untied his pants and kissed her again, pulling his pants down to his ankles and pushing them off. Their tongues gently entangled around each other as they kissed, battling for dominance. Max lost herself in the burning passion as the tip of his raw member rubbed against her already wet entrance ready for him. Unconsciously, her legs widened, making his descent a little easier as he pushed himself inside in one slow thrust, fully sheathing himself in her. She writhed at the sensation. Her nails dug into his flesh, forming half moons as she clung to him. Riftan¡¯s body felt tense as he entered her. He let out a groan as he felt her warmth mp from all sides around him. ¡°Damn¡­ don¡¯t tighten so much¡­¡± he tells her, almost pleading. ¡°Sor-sor-sorry¡­¡± ¡°Breathe, let out a long breath¡­ yes, just like that¡­¡± She could taste the wine on his tongue, smell it on his breath as he continued to overwhelm her. She felt like a fish out of water, gasping for air at the fullness in her. She could feel his member begin to throb inside with every thrust. ¡°Would dunking your body into hot cream feel like this¡­¡± His sweet words did not match his face, which had a grim look, almost as if he was getting tortured. Max tried her best to somehow adapt to the feeling of him inside her, her hips moving. The slightly coarse fabric was somehow constantly stimting her already sensitive skin. Unable to resist any longer, Riftan began moving his hips. ¡°Ah, ah!¡± His throbbing member thrusted in her, pulling out until only his tip remained before moving back in an almost excruciating manner. Never had she felt so wet and hot inside, and he melted with every thrust. Max on the other hand felt the passionate sensation sweep her body to oblivion. He bent down, suckling on her abandoned chest, and she felt that burning sensation intensify at the added action. Her body shook incessantly, her thighs slicking as her legs pushed herself further, deeper into Riftan with every thrust. Very close. She could feel herself getting close to her own zenith, and so was Riftan from the slight pressure she could feel from his hands around her, grabbing her dearly for life. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t want¡­¡± she gasped out in rm as she began squirming beneath him, but her body wasn¡¯t listening to her as it kept squeezing him in eptance. And just like that, she felt herself get lost in a bright white light as she was pushed over the edge. Her heart thumped against her chest. As she was still reeling, she realized Riftan hadn¡¯t stopped yet. She felt like crying at the over stimuli, she clung onto him harder as she felt losing herselfpletely over the pleasure. And as he pummeled into her with the same need to extinguish the heat in his body, she felt like drowning closer into him. Max didn¡¯t know it was possible to feel both pleasure and pain simultaneously. Her body wracked as he kept moving, picking up the pace, bringing them closer if it were any possible. The decadent sounds of his lower region pping against her thighs filled her ears. She couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. Just as she was about to move away, Riftan lifted her up and sat her on hisp, thrusting deeper into her than before. Her legs straddled him, widening as she sank down further, taking his length in as he hit her cervix. ¡°Ah, ahh¡­¡± There was a pause as he filled her to the brim, and her hips unconsciously twitched at the electrifying stimtion at their intertwined bodies at the core.. He grabbed her curved backside and mumbled. ¡°A little more¡­ feel me a bit more, Maxi¡­¡± And then he slowly moved her against him, slick, warm skin rubbing over skin. Max desperately clung to his neck, thrilled at the position that he entered her insides. An embankment once broken had no way to stop ¡ª every time he dug in and closed their bodies, her waist shook by itself and squeezed his length as if to demand something. Right when she couldn¡¯t stand the heat and stimtion any longer, he stopped his movements, a rough exhaleing from his lips. She closed her eyes tightly as she felt something lukewarm spread deep inside her belly and a drop of sweat rolled around her eyes, trickling down her cheeks like a tear. ¡°I thought I was gonna die.¡± He mumbled as he licked down the drop of sweat. Max, still unable to recover her self-control, looked up at his flushed face with a hazed vision. His ck pupils were burning up and down through his now messy hair, as if he wasn¡¯t still satisfied with his feast. ?????? Phew!! Are you all still breathing? Will be posting another chapter in a few hours. Chapter 45: Devoured Till Morning (1) | 19 Chapter 45 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (1) 19 ¡°Hey, wake up, we¡¯re not finished.¡± Riftan murmured from beside her as he began to caress her hips with his thumbs, and began to lean in over her, suckling on her bottom lips lightly. Max¡¯s eyes fluttered open, her mind still in a haze as she gazed up at him. He moved her into a morefortable position, her back against the bed as he hovered above her. He sat up in front of her, hefting his shirt up, throwing it over his head and left it on the floor. Their bodies pressed up against each other, making her shiver with pleasure¨Cwhich seemed to please him some more. He grabbed her ankle gently, pulling her leg up until it propped against his shoulder, his hands resting on her waist before he moved his hips. Max let out a moan of pleasure, the sweat glistening against their naked skins. The sight of the two of them together was unbelievably erotic. Her breathing turns ragged as she thought of what people would think at what they were doing? She remembers seeing a priest, who preached about the proper conduct of a virtuous wife. Was she living up to it? However, all thoughts faded from her mind the moment Riftan rocked his hips into her, her mind turning into mush as the pleasure began building up once more from deep within her. ¡°Uh¡­ uhh¡­.¡± ¡°Look at us.¡± Riftan groaned as he rocked faster, harder. His hand gripped the leg on his shoulder, while the other reached out to grab her chin and force her to look at their conjoined regions. Her breath shudders at the sight. It was so foreign, and so frightening, yet intoxicating at the same time. He pushed until he was hilt-deep within her. Her stomach bulged along with every thrust moving up and down her stomach as his member pressed at her walls. She could feel the heat pooling up once more¡­ She began to writhe beneath him, trying to find somewhere to cling to. ¡°Uh, Ugh¡­!¡± she gasped, and squeezed her eyes shut, when the grip on her chin tightened. ¡°No, Don¡¯t close your eyes and look. That I am inside you¡­ that I you¡­ ughh¡­¡± Riftan groaned, pleasure overriding his senses for a moment as his pacing began to feel ragged and irregr. He pressed harder with every passing second, sending her closer and closer to the edge every time he pressed against her womb. She moaned wantonly in his hands. Riftan¡¯s veins bulged out his neck as he kept up the rough lovemaking. Max wanted to push him away, make him stop, but at the same time, she wanted to feel more of him pressing deeper, further inside. Riftan gritted his teeth as he could feel the sensation building up, his member stiffening with the sensation against his sensitive muscle. Max felt herself being split open as he kept up the pace, it was rubbing her insides, causing sweet friction to fuel up the ecstasy she was feeling. She was squeezing him with every thrust. And Riftan moved like he wanted to break her open, make sure she was molded perfectly for him, and only him. Max let out a sob, and covered her face with her hands as she began to feel her climax happening so close now¡­ So, so close. Last she remembers was a blinding white light, and the sweetest sensation washing over her before she cked out. Their rough love making continued all throughout the night. ?????? When she woke up, the first thing she registered was the light pitter-patter of the rain hitting the window panes. Max¡¯s eyes fluttered open, blinking the sleep off her eyes, and watched the water cascade down, blurring her view of the outside. The chilly air hit her skin, making her shiver, and pulled the covers tightly around her body, all the way until it covered her nose, snuggling in itsfort. It was only until then, she realized something else, aside from the nket, was wrapped around her. Riftan shifted in his sleep, his arm draped around her stomach, before pulling them closer together. He pulled until she was flushed against him, her bare back touching his bare chest. Max felt her cheeks begin to flush at the intimate contact, and felt it flush some more when the hand that was on her waist, began trailing upwards, cupping one of her breasts. His leg, which was tangled between hers also began rocking, rubbing against her sweet spot. Thinking he¡¯s stirring awake, Max turned to look at him, but saw him still deep in sleep, as the ministrations continued in azy manner, soft snoresing from him as he was burrowed in his pillow. He looks so innocent like this, Max thought. ¡°Innocent¡­?¡± She blinked at the unexpected thought that crossed her mind. She¡¯d never thought she could ever associate such a word with the man beside her. He was the definition of its opposite. Still, she found herself mesmerized as she stared at his peaceful expression. He was always so stern, his eyebrows always furrowed, face crinkled in serious thought when awake. But now in his sleep, nothing but a slight wrinkling of his nose was present. He truly looked like a young man still fresh in his twenties. She freed one of her hands on its grip of the nket, and casually brushed her palm over the fringe of his hair. Riftan shifted, murmured something indecipherable, which made her freeze, thinking he would wake up. She waited a few more moments, and then nothing else. ¡°Phew¡­¡± she whispered. Suddenly she was struck with the urge to touch the smooth skin of his face. Her fingers twitched, hovering near his face, when she fought the urge down. Her heart was beginning to beat fast at their continued proximity. Any longer, and she might do something embarrassing. ¡°Ri, Riftan¡­ st, stop now, we have to wake up¡­¡± she stuttered, trying to wake him up. She looked out of the window. The rain was stilling down, which made it impossible to see the clear skies, but she could tell they¡¯ve been here for a long time now. Very carefully, as to not wake him up, she twisted out of his grasp and got out of the bed. Riftan murmured something indecipherable once more, still stuck in sleep, as she got out of his hold. She had to hold back a whimper when she rubbed against him. The entire room was filled of the scent of musk and s*x. The sheets were soiled, their clothes littered all over the floor. It also didn¡¯t help to quell the growing heat in her stomach also. She breathed shakily, tucking her legs beneath her, before plopping back down on the bed. She was too sore to get up. Every part of her was tingling with their rigorous sessionst night. She bit her bottom lip, remembering the way they touched, every sensation. It was only after a few more moments, did she finally realize that the lump behind her had disappeared. Which only meant one thing. Riftan was awake. ¡°Ri, Riftan¡­!¡± she eximed, but squeaked when she was pushed back to lie on her front. She felt big calloused handse in contact with her butt cheeks, kneading them, making her squirm. The hands squished and pulled, opening up her butt, presenting her other entrance. Her face was pressed on the pillows, her butt raised in the air, feeling the intruding sensation prodding at her, rubbing against her small hole. Her knuckles clenched on the fists as he prepped her. Spreading her until she opened up so nicely for him before pushing in. ?????? Please don¡¯t forget to breathe¡­ Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read in advance: Mother Earth ¨C 2 chapters for $2.99 Chapter 46 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (2) 19 Chapter 47 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (1) Beautiful Venus ¨C 5 chapters for $4.99 Chapter 48 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (2) Chapter 49 ¨C Am I Dreaming (1) Chapter 50 ¨C Am I Dreaming (2) Blue Mercury ¨C 8 chapters for $9.99 Chapter 51 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (1) Chapter 52 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (2) Chapter 53 ¨C Take Me Closer (1) Glowing Sirius ¨C 20 chapters for $45.99 Chapter 61 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (1) Chapter 62 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (2) Chapter 63 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (1) Chapter 64 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (2) Chapter 65 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (1) The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99 Chapter 66 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (2) Chapter 67 ¨C Slowly Settling In (1) Chapter 68 ¨C Slowly Settling In (2) Chapter 69 ¨C Her First Kind Companions (1) Chapter 70 ¨C Her First Kind Companions (2) Chapter 71 ¨C Strange Affinity to Magic (1) Chapter 72 ¨C Strange Affinity to Magic (2)Be a Patron now or have a browse of our Table of Contents. Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 46: Devoured Till Morning (2) | 19 Chapter 46 ¨C Devoured Till Morning (2) 19 Max gasped at the filling sensation, she didn¡¯t think she could feel any more full thanst night. ¡°This ce makes me feel as if I¡¯m melting¡­¡± His breath tickled the back of her ear as Max buried her face in the sheets. He reached around her hips, twisting her body and then cing her with her back against the bed. His hands rested on her peaks, before he began moving in her once more. ¡°Ah¡­¡± she gasped with every thrust. The sensation was remarkably different thanst night. ¡°Ugh, uh¡­¡± Her arms went up around his neck, her nails digging into his back as she clung onto him with every whimper she released. One of his hands released her chests, moving down to rub against her sensitive nub on herher regions. With the current sensation she was feeling, coupled with his incessant rubbing, she could feel herself buildup quicker than before. She tipped her legs out to a stretch as he pushed deeper within her, twisting her once again until her faceid against the sheets. He bent over her, his chest making contact with her back, trailing kisses from her shoulder des to the back of her neck. She let out another gasp of pleasure when she felt the sharp sensation of him biting her neck. Even though it was something she experienced numerous timesst night, the feel of him pulsating inside her walls, growing bigger was unbearable. She began to convulse, her body trembling at the build up. ¡°It¡¯s still morning, and you are already driving me crazy.¡± Riftan murmured. He gave her onest peck at her sweaty back and slowly pulled himself out with a satisfied sigh. She let out a choked sound at the odd sensation. ¡°Wait for a second.¡± Riftan yawned loudly, running a hand up his disheveled hair and suddenly jumped out of the bed. She watched him go across the room naked and pulled up his pants in one swift motion. He, who made her feel crazy so early in the morning, was only so carefree and calm. She could liken him to a nonchnt cat. ¡°Bring bath water and a change of clothes,¡± he ordered as he swung the door outside to tell the maid. She was still reeling from the aftershocks of their love making. Riftan turned, and saw her still in bed. He stared down at her with his dark lidded eyes, then sat on the bed and kissed her shoulder des and back, making a smacking sounds all over her skin. ¡°Ti¨CI¡®m tired¡­¡± She mumbled in fear that he mighte into her body again and the man slightly frowned. He picked up the towel on the bedside table and began wiping down her body that was wet with bodily fluids. ¡°Are you sick?¡± he asked her with concernced in his tone. ¡°A bit, I¡¯m a bit¡­ so-sore.¡± She stuttered quietly resisting the shame she felt. She watched as his brows furrowed deeper. ¡°I must have gone too far.¡± He mumbled as he ruffled his hair. Max only blushed in response. Momentster, the maids came in with a bathtub containing hot water and a towel. He chased the maids away, saying he didn¡¯t need to be attended to, before he picked her up in his arms carefully lowering her into the bathtub. Max groaned gently as she felt her throbbing muscles loosen up at the warm waters. He took off his pants and inserted himself behind her. The water swished and sloshed around a little, some spilling to the floor. He felt her tensed up as he pulled her to lean against him and sighed. ¡°Rx,¡± he chastises her, ¡°I know when to stop.¡± The man sat with his long legs wide open and gently embraced her tightly stiffened shoulders. Max was curled up and watched him soap his face and head. After washing his hair, he poured fresh water in the bathtub and washed her hair. She was embarrassed that she was being washed like a child, but she couldn¡¯t rebel because she was exhausted. ¡°The fluffiness reminds me of red clouds.¡± He said, twirling her hair that reminisced a red jellyfish floating at sunset. Max opened her eyes wide. It was just amazing that he referred her dark, unruly, ugly hair to such a contrasting euphemism. ¡°It al-always gets ta-tangled up by it-its own¡­ it¡¯s di-disturbs me.¡± She suddenly said out of the blue, finding his praise far too disjointing. ¡°I find the curls really adorable.¡± She widened her eyes. This man has an odd taste. ¡°Keep it down when you¡¯re with me. I like the way it looks when it falls down your shoulders. Including the way it touches your skin.¡± He hugged her waist from the back and rubbed his nose over her shoulder. Max dipped her body till the water was up to her chin and smoothed her hair. They thawed their bodies out in the water till their fingers and toes wrinkled up, they then got out of the bathtub and wiped themselves dry. Riftan sat her in front of the firece and dried her hair with a towel. She also wiped his hair in return. ¡°Stay in bed and rest for today. You won¡¯t be able to go out because of the rain anyways.¡± He said, as he wore the pants and put on a white tunic that was brought by the maid over his head. Max didn¡¯t have the courage to dress in front of him, so she nodded her head while wrapped around in the towel. The white tunic, embroidered with gold thread around the neck, suited him so perfectly. He looked like a painting. He put on his long boots over his starched stiff trousers and tied them tightly with a leather strap. ¡°A-are you go-going outside the ca-castle?¡± As he wore his protective gear on top of the tunic and carried his sword and robe, Max looked curiously at him. Riftan, who was wearing a sword at his waist, gave a light smile as he looked back at her. ¡°Do you not want me to leave?¡± Max only wetted her lips as she did not know what to say. He put his robe around his shoulders and continued to speak in an impertinent tone. ¡°I¡¯ve been away for a long time, so I have lots to do. I¡¯m going to inspect the grounds all day today. If anything happens, send a guard.¡± ¡°Bu-but it, it¡¯s raining a lo-lot¡­¡± She looked at the heavy rain knocking against the window. He shrugged as if it was no big deal. ¡°I once wandered through the mountains in the middle of a storm. Walking around the grounds is nothing to me.¡± Then he clipped his hood around his shoulders, and strode towards the door. Before leaving, he turned back to her. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Al-alright¡­¡± He nodded at her before he opened the door and went out. Yeah, I was only joking about the an*l hehehe let¡¯s not give ourselves one heartattack after another, kay? Now that snusnu is gone, will be seeing interesting sides of castle Calypse¡­ Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read in advance: Mother Earth ¨C 2 chapters for $2.99 Chapter 47 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (1) Chapter 48 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (2) Beautiful Venus ¨C 5 chapters for $4.99 Chapter 49 ¨C Am I Dreaming (1) Chapter 50 ¨C Am I Dreaming (2) Chapter 51 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (1) Blue Mercury ¨C 8 chapters for $9.99 Chapter 52 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (2) Chapter 53 ¨C Take Me Closer (1) Chapter 54 ¨C Take Me Closer (2) Glowing Sirius ¨C 20 chapters for $45.99 Chapter 62 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (2) Chapter 63 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (1) Chapter 64 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (2) Chapter 65 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (1) Chapter 66 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (2) The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99 Chapter 67 ¨C Slowly Settling In (1) Chapter 68 ¨C Slowly Settling In (2) Chapter 69 ¨C Her First Kind Companions (1) Chapter 70 ¨C Her First Kind Companions (2) Chapter 71 ¨C Strange Affinity to Magic (1) Chapter 72 ¨C Strange Affinity to Magic (2) Chapter 73 ¨C Familiar Fears (1) Chapter 74 ¨C Familiar Fears (2)Be a Patron now or have a browse of our Table of Contents. Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 47: Refurbishing Castle Calypse (1) Chapter 47 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (1) Atst, she stood on her trembling legs and wore the underskirt prepared by the servants. However, a dress to wear over those was missing. She rang the bell that alwaysy on her bedside. A momentter, Rudis entered the room to help her dress up. ¡°Would you like me to put up your hair, just like yesterday?¡± Rudis asked. ¡°J-just neatly in a braid, please.¡± Rudis swiftly tied her hair into a single braid with a ribbon at the end. Wearing a simple andfortable dress, Max sat by the firece and ate a bowl of warm chicken soup and a piece of cornbread. She looked out the window and watched the rain patter against her window, while she ced her hand on her pleasantly full stomach. Max resisted herself from falling asleep to the sound of the calming rhythm of nature and called Rodrigo instead to continue their tour. Although her legs ached with every step she took and her nipples were still sore from all the rough caresses fromst night, she didn¡¯t want to lie in bed all day. I just arrived at the castle¡­ Max didn¡¯t want to give the servants the impression that their new master was an indolent woman. She walked all the way to the living room in the annex, and finally returned to her room after receiving a ledger listed with previously purchased goods. However, it was difficult to distinguish which of the listed purchases were essential or not.
To start with, Maximilian had never purchased an item before. All she knew about currency was that Soldem was gold and Liram was silver. But the ledger before her was full of currencies she had never heard. Frustrated, Max started to sweat. Denar, Derham, Dant. She recognized they were currencies of the southern continent but did not know much of their worth. Max scanned through the ledger skimming through the few purchased items of weapons, food, clothes, oil, candles, firewood, and the like. Besides these items, the number of products purchased and the total cost was written in crisp detail. Max recalled her little knowledge of sums and subtractions from her tutor when she was still a child to estimate the value of each currency. Unfortunately, she hadn¡¯t used her brain for arithmetic for a long time, and thus, this oversight made her only grew more flummoxed. Ultimately, Max closed the ledger shut andy face down in her bed with resignation. She wondered if she had to ask for Rodrigo¡¯s help. But she soon remembered her father¡¯s all too knowing words¡ªa master must show dignity to their servants at all times. ¡°Any servant is bound to ignore a master who is oblivious and ipetent,¡± her father would say. She shuddered as she thought of the indifferent servants at castle Croix. They weren¡¯t openly rude, but she could feel the disdain for her in their looks. She wasn¡¯t aware when the servants of castle Calypse might change their attitudes to her. Nothing was permanent, after all. I still have some time. Max tried to calm herself. *** Riftan returnedte at night with his knights, drenched in the cold rain. The servants urgently led them to the sauna room where the men warmed themselves in the hot steam in bliss and enjoyed a massive meal with alcohol. When Riftan finally came back to their bedroom, he started to polish his sword and armor. Max watched his skillful hands running over every inch of the metal, asking why he didn¡¯t have the servants to take care of it. ¡°I grew up doing this since I was fourteen, so the work is insubstantial to me. I don¡¯t want anyone else touching this guy anyway,¡± he answered with a shrug of his shoulders. He held up his sword against the light. It was rubbed and shined to the point it was icy blue, not a characteristic silver of some of the familiar swords she had seen¡ªit was was different from the panache ones her father would carry at the girdle when he entered a banquet. There were no sophisticated patterns carved in at the handle, but the de was wide and long with an edge as sharp as a steeple. It looked simple, yet she thought it was more majestic than any of the swords her father owned, littered in jewels and gold. ¡°I-it must be a one of a kind, that sword.¡± ¡°It was a prize I won from a sword-fightingpetition. It¡¯s one the most valuable swords in all seven nationsbined,¡± Riftan said, unable to hide the pride from seeping into his voice. Max had never been to a sword-fightingpetition. Rosetta often went as a spectator with her father to show appreciation to the knights that endearingly referred to her as their deardy, but she would always returnining how much the event was too uncivilized and raucous for her liking. ¡°D-did you win?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he replied without hesitation as he put the sword back to its case. Gazing at it nkly, Max suddenly blurted without preamble. ¡°I-I often hear the w-winner gets a k-k-kiss from the m-most respectable ldy¡­¡± She slurred the end of her sentence. Max was startled at her own words and dropped her gaze immediately. What was I thinking? Sensing Riftan¡¯s disquieting look, she blurted out an excuse.
¡°A l-long time a-a-ago, I read a s-story about a k-knight and p-p-princess. T-the knight won a h-horseriding c-cpetition¡­ and t-the queen o-offered a-a kiss and I-I thought i-it was q-quite r-romantic¡­¡± The more she spoke, the more shame grew overwhelming inside her. Instantly, as she could feel the stirrings of a paste to life, she could hear her father yell about her damned habit¡ªnever knowing when to keep her mouth shut. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but it wasn¡¯t romantic at all,¡± Riftan replied in a level-headed voice. She was expecting his displeasure, but surprisingly, there wasn¡¯t any. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get a kiss from a stranger.¡± His words should be enoughpromise, an honest recollection of a past she was no part of. Yet Max couldn¡¯t help but find herself rousing him further, trying to get some truth from him she believed was just sweet nothings.
Chapter 48: Refurbishing Castle Calypse (2) Chapter 48 ¨C Refurbishing Castle Calypse (2) ¡°A k-kiss from a-a n-noblewoman is t-the h-highest honor a k-knight can r-r-receive.¡± His reply came a beatter, sereneness still on his features. ¡°Ie from a humble background, so I never had many feelings for such old-fashioned stories. Furthermore, I wouldn¡¯t feel any honor in getting a kiss from a woman who would¡¯ve frowned at my unbearable stench as I stepped closer to her.¡± Max was taken aback by his apathetic response and remained her eyes fixed on the floor, her gaze enough to burn a hole into them any moment. Riftan leaned his sword on the wall andid into the bed with her, showing he had no intention of being sarcastic for her queries on his personal life, and her predilections surrounding it. Noticing Max tense up automatically at the second presence beside her, Riftan let out a wry smile as he rolled on to his side. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tease you tonight. I hear you were sore.¡± Max nodded her head, far quick to be considered normal, her neck flushing. As Riftan grabbed and pulled her toy beside him, he ced the lid on themp, extinguishing the fire glowing beside. Darkness slowly engulfed the room. And she listened to his steady heartbeat beginning to rx, thoughts forgotten. Another day went by castle Calypse in this manner.
*** The musk of earth filled the castle as the downpour continued for days. Despite the weather, Riftan had gone around inspecting the vige, the mine, and farms. Wanting to be responsible as well, Max had asked for permission to use the library freely. She was struck with uncertainty with all the books, overthinking she might damage them, but soon her fear had turned to awe as she scanned the bookshelves. Max found a ledger written by Knight Roem, who had once ruled Anatol nestled between the parchments. She restrained herself from digging into books on poetic literature from the Roem era and instead opened a book on mathematics. She wasn¡¯t trying to learn anything too grandiose. What she needed to do first was to strengthen her rudimentary knowledge on currency and basic arithmetics. But without some guidance, her efforts were all for naught¡ªit was much of a tumultuous challenge for someone without proper education. ¡°Madam, the president of the merchant guild, hase to visit you.¡± Max shut the book she was reading and walked out of the library. When she followed Rodrigo into the living room, a man in his mid-thirties stood up from his seat to greet her. ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Madam Calypse. My name is Aderon Thoner.¡± The merchant bowed his head in deference. Max could barely ce a smile on her face. She was informed the merchant woulde to her, now that the rain has eased, but facing him made her extremely nervous. But perhaps it was more so because of the decisions that were to fall on her hands. Max held her breath shortly before opening her mouth. ¡°T-thank you for c-cing through t-the r-rain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble, madam. I apologize for not visiting you soon enough,¡± the merchant replied, smiling generously. Max sat in front of the table across him. As soon as she seated herself on the plush cushioned chair, she still felt too anxious to initiate a conversation. Despite having enough chance to talk after being reunited with, rather than the hushed silence her father demanded from her¡ªshe shouldn¡¯t be too nervous now. But she couldn¡¯t help but feel on edge. ¡°I heard you are nning to renovate the castle. Do you have a specific ce you want to start with?¡± The merchant spoke before Max, who couldn¡¯t quickly bring herself to talk. ¡°W-well, I-I want t-to c-change t-the windows f-first. T-the hallways a-are t-too d-dark and a-a-a lot of r-rooms have b-b-b-broken w-w-windows.¡± ¡°Changing all the windows in the castle to new ones will considerably raise the cost. Are you thinking of balt¨Css?¡± Max pictured the clear windows inside castle Croix. She didn¡¯t know there were different types of ss. ¡°The price varies highly depending on the type of ss. Balt-ss is the cheapest while crystal-ss from the southern continent the more expensive variant. If you would like, I can prepare some samples to show you next time.¡± ¡°Y-yes, I-I would l-l-like that v-very m-much.¡±
¡°Any other things you would like to change?¡± ¡°W-we need c-curtains for t-the w-window and a c-chandelier f-for the b-banquet r-room. A-also d-decorative c-carpets f-for the floors a-and w-walls¡­¡± Realizing this might be a massive business for him, the merchant grinned from ear to ear. On the other hand, Max felt her throat tighten. Riftan did say he would pay whatever price, but did he really mean any amount? Still torn whether to continue with thisrge. not to mention ambitious project of hers, the merchant had started to rush with her ns. Eager to put it to life and pocket the exorbitant coins. ¡°It takes some time to order all the items you¡¯ve listed. I wille back with samples as soon as possible at whatever time suits you. If I may, can you show me the floors and walls that you intend to decorate, madam?¡± Max nced at Rodrigo with a slight tilt of her head. The merchant would know what the castle needs better than her. The two left the living room and walked to thergest banquet hall in the castle. Rodrigo, an older servant, and two guards followed them from behind. When Aderon, the merchant, looked around the room, he soon made a long speech about which part of the room needs what and what items they would need to order more. Max tried her best to remember every word he mentioned; avant-garde, he said, each exotic piece he listed promising exuberance to the dreary interior. ¡°What do you think about changing the stone tiles into marble?¡± he suggested, looking at the ground with disapproval. ¡°W-we s-s-should work on our p-priorities f-first¡­¡± Max started, trying not to get too caught up on too much detailing. But the merchant continued waving his hands around the room, his words rapid-firee and a contrast to her floundering words. ¡°I think the marble tiles on the floor and a mural ¨C the walls will need redoing with limewash ¨C will look fantastic. Obviously, I¡¯ll make sure only of excellence will be used in the refurbishing.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll have t-to t-think a-about it,¡± she answered with an awkward smile. ¡°I think there is a need to go extravagant and borate. This is the castle of the continent¡¯s greatest knight! Don¡¯t you agree that he deserves to live worthy of praise as his title?¡± The merchant impassionately replied, making Max freeze, her perfunctory smile turning almost crooked.
Chapter 49: Am I Dreaming (1) Chapter 49 ¨C Am I Dreaming (1) He had a point. Aderon told Max to think it through and left the banquet hall to investigate the hallway and other rooms. He then fluently listed the items that each room needed. It sounded excessive, but Max did agree on his opinion on changing the stair handrail and the window frames. It was an issue of safety, she thought. After a while, the merchant left the castle and Max returned to her room and looked through the ledger. On one of the pages was the amount of money Riftan has given her to renovate the castle, but Max had no idea how much it was worth. Although she was treated like an insect by her father, she was still a family of a Duke. She had never even held a coin in her hand. I should be asking for help¡­ But who did she have to ask? Riftan may realize his wife was an idiot and start treating her like her father did. And the servants? They might talk behind her back, how their stuttering Madam didn¡¯t even know the most basic things. Max began to get paranoid. It might be the best idea to just go along with the merchant. Max settled on the simplest solution. He must¡¯ve been to many different castles, so he must have enough experience in how these things work. She may get a bit overcharged, but Aderon¡¯s words were very convincing and he sounded like he knew what he was doing. Riftan did tell me the money wasn¡¯t the issue. Aftering up with a decision, she felt calmer, walking out of her room in more resolute steps. The rain had died a little, sprinkling lightly onto the Earth. She missed the fresh air, after spending a couple of days indoors. Max went to the terrace extending into the garden and looked up at the gray sky and the moist garden.
The bare tree branches by the gazebo were soaked in the rain, appearing ck, adding to the spooky atmosphere. The smell of wet grass struck her nose. Max reached beyond the terrace roof and felt the cold-water droplets fall to her hand. The drizzle soon soaked her sleeves. ¡°Why are you outside?¡± Max looked into the garden. It was Riftan, walking across the empty garden. With his big strides, he jumped up the stairs within a couple of seconds. ¡°And you¡¯re dressed lightly.¡± ¡°I-I just wanted s-some f-fresh a-air¡­¡± The eyes hiding under the hood of his cloak squinted. He removed the wet strand of hair poking into her eyes with his cold hands. Max wondered if she should do the same; sweep his wet hair out of his face. It seemed normal that he touched her, but she felt she needed his permission to touch him. ¡°At least put on a robe if you want fresh air. You might catch a cold.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Riftan reached for her shoulder to cover her, but soon realized he was wet and lowered his arm. ¡°We should head back inside.¡± She followed him into the castle. He left a long track of muddy footprints on the cold stone tiles. While she thought of cing a brush by the entrance to wipe off the mud on the shoes, she noticed a handful of wildflowers in his hand. She looked at the flowers, puzzled. Feeling her gaze, he quickly pulled down his cloak to hide his hand. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Perhaps she wasn¡¯t meant to see it. rmed by his stern response, Max immediately looked away. An awkward silencey between them. They continued to walk in silence when Riftan cursed lowly. ¡°Damn it,¡± he said. He held up the thing that was in his hand. ¡°I saw some in the garden.¡± Max¡¯s eyes bulged with surprise. It was a bunch of wildflowers, still wet in the rain. Looking down at his own gift, Riftan frowned like he was angry. ¡°It looked quite pretty in the empty in¡­ Now that I see it properly, it¡¯s just a shabby bunch of grass.¡± Did he pick them himself? Max looked at the flowers, then at him. Riftan, hesitating at her nk reaction, handed it over to her. ¡°You can throw it away if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°I-I would n-never throw it a-away.¡± It would be too much of a blunder to throw the first gift she has ever received in her life. As she slowly took the flowers into her hands covered in small droplets of rain, as if they were fragile, the scent of rain and grass struck her nose. She carefully stroked the tiny petals.
¡°It¡¯s b-b-beautiful.¡± She was being honest. But although she mumbled the words with her shaky voice, the man didn¡¯t look entirely happy. He must¡¯ve thought she was simply being nice. Max opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. She didn¡¯t know how to express her current feelings in words. Instead, she took the wet flowers into her face and breathed in their flowery scent. The wet and droopy flowers in front of her had never looked so lovely before. Just the thought of someone crouching in the rain to pick flowers for her was tremendously touching. ¡°T-thank you,¡± she uttered as sincerely as she could. Riftan¡¯s cheekbones slightly flushed. He turned his body away to hide this, continuing his steps forward. ¡°Let go to our room. I want to take a shower.¡± Max delicately held the flowers by her heart as she quickly caught up behind him,a warm feeling spreading inside her.
Hello dear readers, had a personal problem that was interfering with my trantions, so I had to step back for awhile else it would have been too much for me. Thank you so much for your kind words, patience and support. Updates for our Max and Riftan will now resume back to schedule. Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read in advance, but please refrain from pledging before June 1.
Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine
Chapter 50: Am I Dreaming (2) Chapter 50 ¨C Am I Dreaming (2) The next day, Aderon and a couple of servants came to her with an armful of samples. She listened to him exin for a long time. A bumpy ss with a greenish-glow, a smooth and clear ss, a coarse but beautiful ss with silvery light¡­ Describing their own pros and cons, Aderon soon moved on to fabrics. ¡°It¡¯s better to use thick fabric for the curtains in the banquet hall. How about mahogany? Imagine mahogany curtains with rose patterns embroidered in gold thread. I think it would make the banquet hall look very luxurious. You can also opt for the gold silk curtains. Gold curtains would even fitfortably into the banquet hall of a royal pce. It¡¯s fancy, yet modest and elegant.¡± Max hectically scanned through the numerous pieces of fabric. Rudis cautiously put down the tray of tea as she looked at the samples Aderon brought over. She decided to seek some help from a fresh pair of eyes. ¡°R-Rudis, w-what do you t-think?¡± ¡°¡­Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have quite the artistic taste, madam¡±, she replied. Seeing her puzzled expression, Max couldn¡¯t ask her more questions and fixed her eyes on the table. After a moment of thought, she finally chose the mahogany curtain with rose patterns. The curtains had gold tassels on the end andplicated embroidery in the middle, making it pretty expensive. After choosing the curtains, everything was fairly easy. On the floor, she decided to ce a red carpet to go along with the curtains, and a tapestry of a legendary knight, Uigru, riding a white dragon, to hang over the walls. ¡°Have you given a thought on the floors, madam? Would you like to change them to marble tiles?¡± ¡°I-it will l-lead to a big c-c-construction, s-so I need m-more time to t-think about i-it.¡± ¡°No need to be haste, madam. It will take some time for the materials to be delivered from the city anyways, so do take your time thinking about it.¡± Max nodded her head, d to have note been pushed into the decision. Next, the merchant pulled out a miniature model of the chandelier. When she made an exmation at the tiny thing, the size of a palm, he arrayed several models made of marble onto the table. A unicorn standing on its back legs, a dragon with its wings spread out wide, a knight of armor riding a roaring lion¡­ Max admired the figures modeled with extreme delicacy when there was a knock on the door. When she ordered the person to enter, Rodrigo appeared behind the door. ¡°Madam, the tailor called in by the lord is ready for you.¡± ¡°A t-tailor?¡± She tilted her head. She remembered Riftan promising her to get her a new dress made for her. Max turned her head with discern to the merchant, but Aderon was already putting his samples away. ¡°I wille backter in the week, madam. Ah, I will leave the figures with you to decide.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry to have w-wasted your t-t-time.¡± ¡°Oh, please! It is not a problem, madam. I cane back whenever it suits you.¡± When the merchant left the castle, she walked to the dressing room with the servants. Amidst a pile of fancy fabrics, colorful skein of thread, and a weaving frame, there stood a skinny man in his forties and a woman in her thirties. The two straightened up and bowed respectfully to Max as she entered. ¡°it is a pleasure to meet you, madam. My name is Roan Serus. This is my wife, Linda Serus. We were given the honor to sew you a dress.¡± ¡°N-nice to m-meet you,¡± Max mumbled in reply. ¡°The lord has ordered us to make whatever the number of beautiful dresses that suits you, no matter the price. Do you have any style you prefer?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t have a-anything specific i-in m-mind.¡± ¡°Then we will dly show you what is in trend right now.¡± The tailor pulled out a scroll from his bag and held it to her. Max looked at the drawing on the yellow parchment paper, certain she was dreaming. Although she didn¡¯t understand what the scribbled figurines, she found herself growing more excited by the minute. She saw Rosetta surrounded by tailors and seamstresses many times, but she had never stood in the middle of that before. Max listened to the tailor exin, while she had herself measured, study the different fabrics and tried on a hats, veils, and belts. When she looked into the mirror, she saw ady with sparkling eyes, truly looking like some semnce of a properdy. She was wearing a pointy hat, tall enough to touch the ceiling and various overly fancy essories; she thought she had never looked so silly before. ¡°I-I think a smaller h-hat would be b-better,¡± she said as she gently took off her hat. The tailor nodded his head and wrote something on the parchment. After deciding to make three dresses, she left the dressing room. The flurry of activities had taken most of her time and it was no sooner that sundown was on them. Max immediately returned to her room after her duties were over. A sense of overwhelm still tingling over her heart on aplishing things she has never done in her life. She sat on the chair and massaged her exhausted shoulders, tensed up all day from being nervous. Her gaze flitted around the room andnded the inconspicuous small vase by the window. The flower buds have bloomed a little more than yesterday. The image of Riftan appeared on her mind as she kept gazing at the flowers. A weird man, he is¡­ The first time she saw him, he did not strike as a person that would be picking wildflowers in a field for a woman. The man she saw standing in the middle of a hall in castle Croix with an emotionless face didn¡¯t look like a visiting guest, but rather an intruder. Who would have thought that cold man had such a¡­ gentle side in him? He¡¯s been so kind to me¡­ It¡¯s too good to be true. Her face clouded over. The flowers, the dresses, polite people, a kind husband. It was quite unnerving that everything had changed so much in a day. She feared she would wake up the next moment, back at the cold tiles of castle Croix, her father¡¯s crane looming over her. Max held her shoulders in a shaky grip, a sliver of hope coalescing into her usually jumbled thoughts.
Chapter 51: Erroneous Expectations (1) Chapter 51 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (1) ¡°Madam.¡± She tore herself away from her thoughts and turned her head to see Rudis standing quietly in front of the door. ¡°The lord is back. He is going to have dinner with the knights at the dining hall. Would you like to go down, too?¡± She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She was ufortable around the knights, but she still wanted to dine with him. At the very least, she should maintain a modicum of amiableness with them as madam Calypse. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll style your hair again.¡± The maid brought ab and a hairpin and neatly curled up her hair. She sat in front of the vanity, scrutinizing her dress and hairstyle, and then left the room. In the hallway, servants flitted about, lighting up themps. She was passing them all as she moved down the stairs when Max heard the sound of a heated argument drift into her ears. She paused and began to slowly move towards the mor. Taking a look between the partially opened door of the dining hall, she saw Riftan and three other knights following him while arguing with one another. ¡°We must leave for the royal road by tomorrow, at the least!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. We¡¯re leaving in three days.¡± ¡°You have to attend the ceremony! How far do you intend to ignore the Majesty¡¯s sincerity!¡± ¡°I have to agree with Ricardo this time. The rain has died down, so there won¡¯t be any trouble leaving soon.¡± Max, who didn¡¯t know if she should intrude and was waiting behind the door, stiffened up. Come to think of it, he had mentioned it during their trip. He was the top contributor in the war and should have headed to the royal road as soon as the battle ended. Max then estimated the distance between the royal highway and Anatol. It should take around 15 days if they traveled fast; if not, it would usually take about a month. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent a pigeon to the capital. I finally came home after three years; King Ruben will understand.¡± ¡°I know you want to distance yourself from King Ruben. But if you go too far, your influence might disappear.¡± At the words of the knight, standing at the very end, Ricardo quickly turned his head towards him. ¡°Distance himself?¡± ¡°Elnuma Ruben III is getting impatient because he can¡¯t summon you to the royal road. You are wary that you might get tied to the royal family due to your contribution to the battle, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a case between you and Agnes; it seems like the king wants to keep you on a tight leash. I also understand that you are wary. But you must avoid going too far as you might end up antagonizing them. He¡¯s already very cautious of his vassals.¡± ¡°Eliot¡¯s right. If the Remdragon Knights are absent during the celebration, he will surely think he is being humiliated in front of his people. We never know what kind of retribution he wille back withter. You know he¡¯s someone who holds a long grudge.¡± ¡°Hebaron Nirta! Your words go too far!¡± At hearing the raised voices, Max began to turn back. The atmosphere between them wasn¡¯t conducive to her appetite. ¡°Ju-just bri-bring my me-meal to my ro-room,¡± she told Rudis as soon as she climbed back up the stairs and went back to her room. Max couldn¡¯t get rid of the heaviness she was feeling as she was returning to her room, and even when she pitifully ate her dinner alone. Will she truly be fine alone while Riftan is away from the castle? Everyone was genial towards Max now, but she worried that maybe it was because the lord of the castle was around. She felt uneasy as if she was a child who had lost sight of her guardian. ¡°Madam¡­ is the meal not to your taste?¡± Rudis, who had been patiently waiting on the side, asked carefully. A grimace must have been visible on her face. Max quickly shook her head. ¡°Oh, no. It-it¡¯s delicious. Well, I just¡­ it¡¯s just I don¡¯t have an appetite,¡± she weakly excused. ¡°Are you perhaps ufortable anywhere?¡± ¡°I think, I think it¡¯s because I¡¯m tired¡­ I¡¯d like to rest.¡± ¡°Should I take your te away?¡± When she nodded, the maid retrieved the tter from her, a sizeable portion of the food still left uneaten on the porcin. Max sat at the table and absentmindedly gazed into the figure that Aderon left behind. Just a moment ago, the small sculptures that looked lovely like toys now looked insignificant. Why am I acting like a child? Nothing is wrong with being alone. She had always lived in isted, what difference would it make if Riftan left? For twenty years, she suffered under a cruel father, shunned by her cold-hearted half-sister, and even disrespected by the rude servants. There was no reason to feel hopeless by Riftan¡¯s month-long absence. ¡°Why in the zed are you staring at it intently?¡± A confused, familiar voice brought her out from her own musings. She looked back at the hand that suddenly came into view, surprised. Without her noticing himing in, Riftan was holding a marble sculpture in his hand and looking at it with an expression that showed he thought it was random and strange. ¡°It-it¡¯s a model¡­ I-I was picking out the de-decorations for the banquet ha-hall.¡± ¡°The banquet hall?¡± Max¡¯s heart plummeted when she saw a frown appear on Riftan¡¯s face upon the mention of it. ¡°You, you asked m-me to decorate the ca-castle, so¡­¡± her voice trailed off. ¡°No, I¡¯m not saying no to it.¡± He hurriedly corrected himself, ¡°I just forgot that there was such a ce. I see. The banquet hall¡­ I guess we¡¯ll have to n a party or a ball soon, right?¡± She gulped. Her throat went dry as she saw Riftan¡¯s eyes of anticipation directed at her. Just the thought of hosting a ball or banquet made her dizzy with apprehension. ¡°If-if you don¡¯t want to¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m just not used to loud spaces with strangers.¡± He then bent over, leaning towards her, and pulled the pin out of her hair. Max¡¯s braided hair fell, tumbling slowly on the back of her neck. A smilenguidly spread across Riftan¡¯s face as he tenderly untangled her locks with his hands. ¡°But, I do want to see you beautifully dressed and dancing at the ball.¡± Max felt the word ¡®beautiful¡¯ never suited her, and it was so that she had never stepped a foot at a banquet before. Whenever she saw the gap between Riftan¡¯s expectations and her true nature stray far, she felt as if an invisible w suffocate her heart from the inside. It was too cruel.
Oh Maxi¡­ I just wish you all the happiness in this world. :((( double chapter update! Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read in advance, but please refrain from pledging before June 1.
Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine
Chapter 52: Erroneous Expectations (2) | 19 Chapter 52 ¨C Erroneous Expectations (2) | 19 ¡°W-well,e to think of it, I-I didn¡¯t even have a ch-chance to thank you.¡± She began, ¡°Th-thank you for hi-hiring a tailor f-for m-me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me for anything.¡± The man replied dryly, putting the piece of marble he was holding back on the table. ¡°I know it¡¯s severelyckingpared to your previous lifestyle. Even if it takes time, I¡¯ll get you everything you want, so just hang in there for a bit,¡± he murmured. He then put his arm around her shoulder and lowered his head, pressing a chaste kiss on her earlobes. She shrank back as his arms wrapped around her, encasing her petite frame. He was far from beingcking, instead he was giving her more than she could ever ask for. She wanted to say that he didn¡¯t have to overwork himself for her so badly, but she just couldn¡¯t do it. Even if it was an erroneous expectation, she felt strangely relieved that he thought of her as someone¡­ precious. ¡°I¡¯m going to the royal road in a few days. I¡¯lle back with a wagon full of presents.¡± Her eyes widened at this. ¡°Ye-yes¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can. I¡¯m just going to attend the ceremony and soon¡­¡± He mumbled hisst words under his breath, making them almost undecipherable. And then a soft, moist, warmth gently prodded into her mouth. Her eyes widened lightly. The tip of his tongue tasted faintly of strong wine. His slightly coarse stubble gently rubbed against her own chin, his tall straight nose over her nose, and a warm, soothing palm gently caressed her cheek. There was something unique about the way he enveloped her. He was frighteningly persistent and aggressive, yet there beyond this animalistic side, he was also so cautious, holding her as if she was something sacred. When his caresses felt minute, almost fluttering on her skin, she felt as if she were a wildflower. A delicate flower ferociously yanked away and dearly held in his grasp¡­ ¡°Damn¡­ I really don¡¯t want to go.¡± He mumbled harshly, his warm breath warming her lips. There was a slight trace of saliva when their lips parted. Max looked up at him with trembling eyes. He cupped his hand over one of her breasts over her clothes as he pulled her closer by the waist. ¡°I want to do nothing and just stay locked up in my bedroom for months¡ªperhaps years, and just rest.¡± She sensed a lot of fatigue in his heated voice. He was exhausted. Max could only imagine how hard it must have been for the past three years. Guilt andpassion sprang up inside her. She hesitated slightly, before she gently moved her hand to stroke his head. The man who had been pouring kisses on her d¨¦colletage looked up at her in surprise. She managed to say in a trembling voice, ¡°Che-cheer up.¡± A strange expression crossed his onyx eyes. She had glimpsed a solemn look of heartbreak. He was staring down at her nkly with glistening eyes, when suddenly, he surged towards her, violently locking his lips against hers. She felt goosebumps dance towards the back of her neck at the feel of their moist breaths locked in a battle together. ¡°To be so willing to fire me up¡ªdon¡¯tin to me when you regret it.¡± He roughly murmured as he gathered her up in his arms from the chair she was sitting on. A sharp shudder roughly scraped the inside of her stomach. She wasn¡¯t scared. Even when he said something like that¡­ Even when he was doing something like this¡­ she wasn¡¯t scared at all. She could see vaguely what kind of person he was bing to her and that was the only thing she was really afraid of. * ¡°Sto-stop¡­¡± Max¡¯s voice came out in a soft whimper as her stomachid on the bed. From the windows, bright light poured out from the striking blue sky covered only with sparse clouds. It was quite a sunny day. She crawled towards the nket to escape, but her arms and legs, which had undergone too much of a rigorous exercise throughout the night,cked the strength to even tear apart a flower, much less break free from a man¡¯s insistent grip. ¡°Ri-riftan¡­please, please.¡± ¡°Just a little more¡­¡± At the breath that came in between her legs, she hid her face deeply into the sheets. The light from the dying firece flickered over their wet skin soaked with sweat and wetness from their lovemaking. Even the feel of the faint heat was like torture to Max. ¡°It¡¯s incredible. That you have something that can ept me¡­ and I have something that can connect with you¡­¡± He muttered like a drunken man as he touched her between her legs. Her hips raised in the air shook with his every caress, her already fatigued thighs were shaking. Her soaked petals had long throbbed from his stimtion, blooming a pinkish red. She choked back a sob from the ecstasy and the erotic quality of it all. The fact that she was baring him her most private part was agonizingly strange to Max. Her heart felt as if it could burst out from her ribcage any moment. ¡°Do you know how beautiful you are?¡± She felt his warm, husky voice over her moist womanhood. And his fingers gently prodded in, parting her secret doors to stroke it within. Max immediately found herself biting the pillow to restrain her lewd mewls. She was going mad. It felt as if her whole body had melted and only the part under his hold was alive. As tears ran down her face from the intense climax that broke like a dam inside, he gently ran his hand across her back and whispered, ¡°Really, maddeningly beautiful.¡± His deep, muffled voice wed at her ears like a siren¡¯s bewitching call. Her body, no longer her own, sumbed to the wild sensation. Max unconsciously pulled on Riftan¡¯s hair. His breath heated up her soft skin and his teeth softly bit her parts that had long gone sensitive from his never-ending touches. She felt like all the nerves in her body were splitting into tiny pieces, tearing her apart from the inside to a delicious heap. ¡°N-no¡­ ah!¡± Her words not corresponding with her actions, her back arched higher, her folds stretching as they anticipated for him. Riftan sped her hips tightly so that she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape, and after he persistently tasted her juices, he positioned his throbbing member against her tunnel and slowly pushed inside, making her feel him to the tip. Max no longer had enough strength to lift even a single finger. As his thick, massive body crashed into her, she shook like a leaf. His manhood pressed inside her, demanding as he filled her deeply to her core and with every thrust, his member growing with his ragged breaths. As his movements picked up, she could hear their slick skin against another; her body that had be almost unbearably sensitive and heated, was roughly swept by a strong current. At the height of her senses, Max finally felt her vision fade, the sounds around her slowly vanishing with her consciousness.
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Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine
Chapter 53: Take Me Closer (1) | 19 Chapter 53 ¨C Take Me Closer (1) | 19 Max was seized by the feeling as if she were plummeting into a cliff in her slumber. Slowly stirring into consciousness, she hears the sound of rain, pounding hard against the windows as if to wake her up from her reverie. The manid calmly behind her back, their slick bodies stered to one another. Her eyelids fluttered open as shey in his arms. Just how long have they been losing their minds with one another? The chest on her back gently shook with the man¡¯s steady breathing. ¡°Even if I¡¯m almost crushing you by being so close like this¡­ I don¡¯t want to part our bodies at all.¡± He gathered her closer¡ªas if it were any possible¡ªinside his arms, facing him. Skin created friction as they rubbed against another, the tips of her peaks having long gone sore from his constant teases. The man released a satisfied groan, tilting the woman¡¯s head underneath him to meet his lips. He sucked on them, devouring and rolling her soft flesh between his teeth. Max looked up at him with swollen eyes. He looked as messy as she was; his usually cold, stern face like a polished de was flushed with sweat, his eyes clouded with a heated gaze. His hair was disheveled as if it had gone through a storm, and his skin wasced with half-moon crescents¡­ Riftan faintly smiled, seeing the light wounds on his body. ¡°I didn¡¯t even have a scratch on my body when I was fighting a basilisk¡­¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m s-sorry.¡± A terrible sound came out from her throat like a strangled cry. And his head dipped down again to capture her lips, sealing the voice inside. Max was quite frightened of his onyx eyes, looking at her with an indecipherable expression. ¡°You¡¯re a frightening enchantress.¡± She had wanted to implore him what he meant, but her voice could no longere out as he kissed her flush against him again. Their slick tongues slowly intertwined with another in a slow,zy dance. ¡°I think I¡¯ve known since the first day. That you would¡­ scar me.¡± Hisst words were so faint against her lips that she could hardly understand them. She soon sank into a deep sleep as if she were melting into warm water. * It was raining harder outside as if nature was deviously trying to make up for yesterday¡¯s harmless drizzle. This prompted Riftan and his soldiers to dy their travel to the capital. And as he wasn¡¯t even able to trudge across the vige for inspection under the nket of heavy rain, he spent his whole day lounging around their room for the first time ever since he moved into the castle. The twoid in bed stark naked, merely listening to the rhythm of the rain against the window. Most of the time, they were engaged in a passionate embrace between each other, leaving no inch of skin as they shared their warmth. They made love intensely, making Max worry if such a level of intimacy was even allowed. When they were not locked with one another, they gulped down the food and wine the servants delivered to them. He ced her on hisp as he fed her himself. Feeling sluggish, Max wasn¡¯t able to feel the familiar embarrassment creep in, and instead, rested her head on his chest as she nibbled on the pieces of sweet fruit and bread with cream he brought to her mouth. At the heart-warming sight, a smile blossomed across Riftan¡¯s mouth. ¡°You¡¯re like a little bird.¡± He gave her a sip of wine and pressed his lips gently on her bulging cheeks, feeling her flesh soft against his muscles. Riftan wouldn¡¯t let her go even for a split second; he was like an animal devotedly taking care of its own baby. He washed her and showered her with kisses. And Max was utterly captivated by his passionate and persistent love, never having experienced anything like it before. She suddenly had the oundish urge to hug him tightly with her soft arms and to rub her face against his broad and muscr chest like a child. If she wasn¡¯t so exhausted, she knew she would have indulged in that fleeting impulse. Not even her mother had held her this close before. ¡°These grapes are delicious,¡± he mumbled as he pushed the fruit through her lips. Max took the grape in her mouth and popped it between her teeth, savoring the sweet juice. As some of the liquid trickled down the sides of her mouth, Riftan tasted it with his lips. His hand brushing against her cheek was gentle, but his caresses were stirring her. Soon, the thought of his damp lips delicately trailing golden kisses on her skin came to mind. Their barely parted bodies heated in tandem with the warm current inside the room. ¡°Crush me with your teeth and take me in.¡± He stuck his tongue out long as if it wanted to fall into a pit that was her throat. There was some kind ofnguage clearer than words that came and went through their interlocked lips. Max could feel her throat chocking up, but she wasn¡¯tining¡ªdidn¡¯t want to. Now engulfed with a craze that ate all her reason, she lifted her trembling arms and wrapped them around his neck. At the next moment, her body fell back towards the familiar soft sheet again. As they stumbled on one another, the te ced on the bed was knocked over to the side, the pieces of fruit spilling carelessly over the bed. Riftan continued to lick all traces of the sweet juice staining her skin as his thick chestpressed her smooth mounds. Their sweatced skin had long tangled with the damp bed sheets.
Hello! A note to our dear readers: since we have been preupied with RL and it¡¯s been quite a chore to keep readers constantly waiting and giving reasons forteness ?? we will have a new schedule for every novel: instead of specific days we will be opting posting anytime around the week of which we will have a chapter counter after every chapter like the one below: Update Schedule: 3x a week [??] [??] [ ] ¨C> it means 2/3 chapters have been updated for OAK. Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read these chapters in advance:
Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine
Chapter 54: Take Me Closer (2) | 19 Chapter 54 ¨C Take Me Closer (2) | 19 The sound of her moaning and his grunting filled the room. Their lips were interwoven as their bodies rolled about in the bed in an intimate dance. To her, his breath smelled like nectar¡ªas they shared their bodies, their breathing also mingled, one breathing the other¡¯s exhtion. Max could feel something warm and overwhelming slowly grow from the center of her heart. As he made eye contact with her, he demanded in a desperate whisper, ¡°Say my name.¡± ¡°R-Riftan¡­¡± she breathed. ¡°Again¡­¡± ¡°R-Riftan¡­¡± ¡°Again. Say it again¡­¡± She called his name until she lost her voice. At that moment, she felt as if she were existing to quench the heat within, to satisfy both his and her body¡¯s demands¡­ In that desperateness, there was no space for lectures on the manners of a virtuous woman. She was clinging onto him like an animal, digging her nails on his skin as hard as they could. He ughters her, and she rises back to the living. The cycle and his extreme need for her were driving Max insane. ¡°R-Riftan¡­¡± Max looked up at him through hooded eyes. Mystified, she called his name, as if she were in a dream, and his name was the only one existing in the world. * Unfortunately, the rain dwindled awayte in the afternoon and wholly halted around dawn. Max opened her bleary eyes at the mild morning sun she hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. She wanted to lift herself up, but her limbs were too weak. As she faintly moaned at the dull pain, a hand stroked her naked back to soothe her. ¡°Go back to sleep.¡± She gaped at his face shading her from the bright morning sun. He had woken up far before her, already wearing crisp clothing and armor. Her heart sank at the sight of this. ¡°Y-you¡¯re l-leaving today¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be leavingter at noon. We have to get the weapons and food ready first.¡± He reached for her chin and kissed her swollen lips and then slipped his hands into a white iron glove. ¡°I¡¯lle back to see you before I leave, so don¡¯t worry and go back to sleep,¡± he said as he pulled another piece of armor up to his elbows and took his sword before leaving the room. Max stared at the door from where he had departed and blinked. An empty feeling swept through her heart, unconsciously. She finally stood up and walked on her trembling legs and asked the maids for a bath. Although he had told her to get more sleep, she found herself no longer requiring rest. ¡°Madam, your bath is here.¡± Rudis and three other servants fetched a tub filled with warm water. She weakly stepped into the water with the help of her servants. Rudis quickly washed her hair and cleaned her body with a soft sponge, and even if she were extremely embarrassed, she didn¡¯t have any energy left to clean herself. Max kindly took Rudis¡¯s help and sat still in the water. ¡°Will you excuse me for a moment, madam? I¡¯ll go and prepare a dress with a high neck.¡± A servant wiping off the moisture from her body after she stepped out of the bath asked her carefully. Max immediately flushed when she noticed the blotchy red patches on her body. ¡°Y-yes, please.¡± When the servants left, Max cautiously stood in front of the mirror and spread open the towel around her body. Her cor bones had marks on them, and her breasts wererger than usual¡­ also covered in pink blooms. She touched her breasts with her shaky hands, finding Riftan¡¯s touch was clearly different from hers. His touch felt as if he were a sculptor¡¯s hand, and she was the y being molded. She wondered if the woman with littered with love marks on her skin and bright eyes in the mirror was the same person to the woman she was used to seeing; a pale and depressed girl with droopy shoulders and a hunched back. Max slowly slid her hands down her slender waist, her t stomach, andstly, between her thighs. Her skin felt warm to the touch, smooth and soft. It didn¡¯t feel as if it were her own. ¡°Madam, your dress is here.¡± Max took her hand off her body with surprise. Although they were still behind the door, waiting for their permission to enter, she flushed as if she was caught red-handed. She stuttered in embarrassment. ¡°C-ce in.¡± The servants entered the room and proficiently dressed her. She wore a fancy dress with waves of green and gold with a golden belt looped around her waist. Then, she hurried out the door with her hair roughly tied with a ribbon, still wet. Through the open windows, the fresh sunshine gently kissed her face. She breathed in the scent of the air still moist from the rain and hurried down the stairs. He promised toe to find her before he left, but she was still anxious he had forgotten and had gone already. ¡°Good morning, madam.¡± She walked into arge hall where the servants were sweeping the floors with the windows open wide to let the fresh air in. Supervising them with a sharp eye, Rodrigo respectfully lowered his head when he spotted Max. ¡°Breakfast is ready. Would you like to have it in the dining hall?¡± ¡°N-no, b-before that, I-I need to see R-Riftan, I mean L-lord Calypse¡­¡± ¡°Lord Calypse is in the field with the knights, ma¡¯am.¡± She was about to leave through the door when she paused. What was she going to do? She wondered if she would only disturb him. As she was hesitating in front of the door, Rodrigo carefully opened his lips. Chapter 55: His Departure to the Capital (1) ¨C His Departure to the Capital (1) ¡°Uhm¡­ madam, if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­¡± The servant let out a couple of dry coughs before continuing awkwardly. ¡°Would you please tell the lord that the meal is ready? I thought he should eat before he leaves for the trip, so I¡¯ve been preparing in the kitchen since early morning.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll t-tell him!¡± She replied in a loud, exhrated voice. The old man¡¯s face, which was full of anxiety for asking a possibly presumptuous question, now showed relief. He swiftly expressed his gratitude. ¡°Tha-thank you madam, so¡­uhm, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± She was just d to have an excuse to go to him and rushed out the door without a proper response. The dainty autumn breeze gently swept down on her dreary body. She took a moment to look up towards the sky, the pale autumn sun was gradually brightening the day and reflecting over the shiny puddles of water formed throughout the garden. With tiny skips and hops, she waded across the puddles and made it towards the stairs. As she crossed the vast garden, she neared the inner gate. Carefully holding up her skirt to avoid getting it wet, she nimbly went down eight steps of stairs. She passed a guard who bowed his head in haste at their madam¡¯s unexpected arrival. She drew closer and closer to the doors to the hall. Surrounded by a high, thick outer wall and held by the sturdy pir, this full hall presented a lofty image amidst the faint glimmer of the morning sun. And the knights donning silver armor lined up in an orderly fashion before the ever imposing Riftan, made for a breathtaking view. As she entered the hall, Max halted in her steps. Without a sound, she slowly took in her surroundings. He seemed to be talking about something serious, so Max felt it was not appropriate to approach him right now. She decided to wait for the opportune moment while the voices in the hall steadily rose. ¡°Leader, if you are worried about Anatol that much, I¡¯ll stay.¡± Gabel, a young knight who¡¯d shown off his brilliant rhetoric at the dinner party, took a step forward and said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have to worry if just a single Remdragon Knight stays put, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Every single knight who participated in the battle must attend the celebration. Recognition for service should be divided fairly among us all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the titles or rewards from the king. My reputation as a knight is good enough, and I¡¯ve already received more than enough praise. It¡¯s better to stay in the castle and train with my sword than waste my time attending a boring celebration.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± With his arms crossed across his chest, Hebaron shook his head in disbelief. He seemed to think hispanion, Gabel, didn¡¯t mean what he said and decided to call him out. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a monk. If all thedies in the Imperial City piled up at your feet, are you going to refuse? With your mboyant ir for words, you could swoon around anydy no matter how haughty!¡± ¡°You superficial man! Is that all you can think of with that big head of yours?¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Looking at Hebaron and Gabel ring daggers at each other, Ruth, who was standing by Riftan¡¯s side, let out a deep sigh. ¡°You two must be under a curse where if you don¡¯t growl at each other for a day, you will catch a deadly infection.¡± He clicked his tongue as if he was tired of all the arguing, and went on with his words. ¡°As Sir Calypse said, all the knights who participated in the battle must go to the royal castle. Sir Ovaron, Sir Sebrick, and the guards are enough to protect Anatol. Besides, I¡¯m also thinking of staying back.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You have to go! You yed a huge role in the battle.¡± ¡°I am not someone who cares for fame or honor. Furthermore, if I go, there is bound to be friction with the pce wizards. I¡¯m basically being treated as a traitor by the wizards because I left the World Tower without permission.¡± As the wizard shrugged as if it were no big deal, the knights rolled their eyes. Riftan, who had been silent for a long time, decided to open his mouth. ¡°¡­ I will also feel relieved if you were to stay.¡± ¡°I was nning on doing that from the beginning.¡± Ruth shrugged as if it were no big deal. With that, Riftan took a step forward, pushing the hall into pin-drop silence. He ran an authoritative gaze along the line-up before him and spoke solemnly. ¡°Then it¡¯s decided. We leave as soon as we¡¯re ready. The route will be the same one I exined before.¡± The knights clenched their fists on their chests and briskly put them down. It seemed to be their own way of courtesy. Max, who had been hanging around for a long time in the back, sneaked up on Riftan as the briefing drew to a close. He turned back and looked puzzled at her visit. ¡°I told you, you could take a little more rest. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ Well, I fe-felt like I had to get u-up, t-too.¡± She ignored the gazes of the knights as she was approaching him. Riftan looked down at her with worried eyes. Feeling her heart tightening at his gaze, she continued shyly. ¡°They to-told m-me that the me-meals are re-ready, so¡­ I-I¡¯m here to te-tell you¡­¡± He looked up at the sky, measured the slope of the sun, and said to the knights. ¡°Let¡¯s fill our stomachs first.¡± The knights quickly dispersed. Riftan walked with an arm around Max¡¯s shoulders, holding it as if he were protecting her. Max peeked at his dashing figure under the bright sunlight. Dressed in silver armor atop a thick blue tunic, he was as resplendent as if he had just walked out of a temple mural. She could feel why themoners would look at him and shout, ¡®The wise man of Uigru!¡¯ ¡­ the legendary knight who ascended to the heavens. Chapter 56: His Departure to the Capital (2) Chapter 56 ¨C His Departure to the Capital (2) ¡°¡­ Are you feeling any better?¡± At the abrupt question, she looked down in a hurry, trying to mask her earlier thoughts. ¡°I-I¡¯m all right.¡± ¡°You were in pain thest time we did it.¡± Her face flushed carmine, feeling as if it was on fire. ¡°T-truly, I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°I wish you would say that when we¡¯re in bed.¡± He grimaced and asked perversely, ¡°So that if I ask you ¡®Can I do it more?¡¯ you would tell me ¡®It¡¯s fine¡¯.¡± ¡°Tha-that, that kind of talk¡­¡± She looked around in panic. Seeing that the knights were already far ahead, she looked at him with a timid look and stiffly continued. ¡°Tha-that kind of talk, you, you can¡¯t talk about those things, if someone hears¡­.¡± ¡°So, what if they hear?¡± They may find fault with them for being lewd and unprincipled¨Cthe sordid almost rose from her throat. So she kept her mouth tightly shut like a honey-fed mute. Over the past few days, only their erotic nights finding their way to mornings filled her memories. When she couldn¡¯t speak and started tearing up, Riftan, who was looking down at her with an impassive face, suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°My innocent, naivedy!¡± Then he hugged her by her waist and gently interlocked their lips. Max slightly shuddered at the cold touch of hard armor she felt over her clothes. Her pulse beat erratically against her chest that she could almost hear it in her ears. ¡°Don¡¯t make it too hard to stay apart from you.¡± Max looked up at him with trembling eyes. She wanted to ask if it was truly difficult to be separated from her. The words, ¡°Can Ie with you?¡± soared from her heart to the tip of her tongue, but couldn¡¯t make past her lips. She might have hung from his neck and begged, had it not been for the fear that his sweet moment would be ruined, and he would be irked. She suppressed the first reckless emotions she had ever felt and tried to sound calm. ¡°We, we n-need t-to go¡­ we have a meal, we have to¡­¡± ¡°We should.¡± He put her down as if his excitement waned as her words brought him to reality. Max restrained her urge to stick to his side, and calmly walked on. *** After the meal, all the knights mounted their chargers. Max came out to the courtyard with a train of servants to see him off. Elegantly bnced atop of a giant ck steed, Riftan slowly turned his head and looked down at her. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Be, be careful¡­e back soon.¡± He somehow managed to understand her small murmuring and slightly smiled. He leaned down almost to the point of falling off his horse and sped her face. She couldn¡¯t reject him even though all the servants were watching. She tiptoed and reciprocated his kiss. Their lips that had been just slightly ovepping were now sped together wholly. The man, who was gently pushing his tongue down her mouth, abruptly straightened up and calmly led the horse to the front as if nothing had happened. The knights, mouths wide open and awe-filled faces, followed with a sigh. Max saw them off with a bright red face. As the knights passed the gate and in a long straight line crossed the moat, the guards on the wall blew their copels with full might. The sound of the dull noise intermingled with the trotting hooves. For a long time, Max stood rooted to the spot, even after their figures had long disappeared from her sight. *** After he left, she fell sick for two whole days. The umted fatigue from the myriad of happenings the past few days inundated. It had hit her body as if an embankment had copsed. She was suffering from a severe cold, so the maids boiled herbal soups and tried to cool her fever down with some wet towels. Thanks to their careful tending, she was able to open her eyes feeling better than the previous day. She asked Rudis to prepare a bath, thinking she would feel much better after she¡¯d washed her sweat-soaked body. ¡°Is it really okay if I don¡¯t call the healer?¡± Rudis, who brought a hot bathtub with the maids, said. As she took off her pajamas, Max shook her head in negation and pushed herself into the bathtub. ¡°Now, now I am¡­ f-feeling better.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if the medicinal herbs from the wizard are enough. It¡¯s not toote to call a therapist¡­¡± Ruth continued worriedly, trying to dissuade her. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m really fine. It-It¡¯s just a bad cold.¡± She deliberately smiled. Though she had not fully recovered, the fever had, fortunately,e down. If she ate well today and didn¡¯t move around too much, she would regain her strength and perhaps would feel a tad better tomorrow. She came out into the garden with a thick shawl and in a dress newly made by the seamstress. Temperatures had dropped noticeably in just the past few days. ¡°After the fall rains pass, they say the temperature drops like this,¡± Rudis exined, smiling gently at the woman she apanied, who was astonished by the cold wind. ¡°I think, soon¨CI think winter ising soon¡­¡± Max mumbled. ¡°The winter in Anatol is not that coldpared to other regions. It rarely snows even in the middle of winter, maybe because we are close to the South Sea. Even when it snows, it stops at the point of sleet.¡± Max was a little disappointed. She had never seen snow piled up as her father¡¯s estate was located in the warm southeast region. She heard that it snowed so much in the capital city of Drakium that they could nket the whole world and still have snow left over¡­ Will it start snowing by the time he arrives there?
Ahhh Riftan finally departed which means more screen time for our Maxi¡­ will be posting more chapters this week. Update Schedule: 3x a week [??] [??] [??] [ ] Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read these chapters in advance:
Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 57: Max's Resolve (1) Chapter 57 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (1) ¡°You¡¯ve only just recovered, so don¡¯t stay outdoors for too long.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯ll just be a short walk.¡± She smiled at Rudis and walked away. The quiet and calm maid, who rarely talked unless necessary, one day slowly began to fuss over her like a sister would. All she did was say a word or two out of concern without crossing the line, but that was enough to warm Max¡¯s heart. Is this really¡­ my house¡­ home? Her eyes zed around castle Calypse, the notion bringing to mind her life back in castle Croix. She had spent her whole life there, yet she had nothing she was emotional about. No people, ce or anything for that matter, that could remotely make her miss the ce. A cold castle that had once sheltered her for so long but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to call ¡®home¡¯ ¨C for it never felt like one. She hoped that she just might be able to fill her life with new thingspletely different from that of her past. She hoped she would grow fond of this castle and its people, and hoped she would find love here and make this ce her home. The pitiful, smidgen of hope that had erupted within made her heart tighten. Is it really possible?
Leaving Croix didn¡¯t mean she had be apletely different person. She was still that stutterer they hadbelled dumb and inconsequential. Someday he¡¯d also realize that I¡¯m useless. Then everything might change. She felt her blood chill with the thoughts of losing his amorous, affectionate touch or burning gaze. What if he suddenly turns into my father and¡­?! ¡°Madam? I think you are still sick¡­.¡± She must have looked anxious as Rudis gave her a look. Max shook her head, as if the action was enough to dismiss the negative thoughts guing her. ¡°I¡¯m oh-okay. I would li-like a war-warm cup of t-tea.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare one right away.¡± Max took this moment to gather herself. She had a decision to make. If she wanted her fears to never see the light of the day, she had to trudge far across the great unknown, beyond the haunting past of the halls of castle Croix, the reproached Maximilian and unfamiliar future. A resolve, a patient, but rather steely one was burning inside her heart. I can change. I must start acting like ady. I¡¯ll be a dependablendy for him. *** By the next day, Max had fully recovered. Although she was yet to regain her full strength, she felt enervated.
This day, she had a visitor¨CMerchant Aderon. Had it been the usual timid Max, she would have avoided the meeting, but today she had an intent to fulfill. Without hesitation, she met with the merchant and discussed the ns for the Great Hall. She carefully listened to his exnations without interrupting, beforeunching into a few questions of her own. After much consideration, she decided toy faintly jade-toned, white marbles on the floor of the banquet hall in the Great Hall and have all windows furnished into exquisite ss. Before he took his leave, the merchant assured he would bring in workers from the guild andmence the work the very next day. With that settled, she made a beeline for the library with the transaction statement she¡¯d just received from Aderon. She skimmed through several, heavy tomes, and worked on recording it in the ount books as how Rodrigo did it. By the time she had finished writing the items with her clumsy, almost non-descript, handwriting, the sun had sunk low into the horizon. This hectic and busy schedule continued for days as there were many ces in need of repair and there seemed to be no end to things she had to purchase. Each day she met with Aderon early in the morning to be guided on areas that needed fixture and ir. After buying more auxiliaryndscaping, she would check to see if the workers were working properly. In the afternoon, she met with thendscaper Aderon had arranged to garnish the dreary garden, and then the engineers to confer on the patterns to be engraved on the railings and window frames. Her day exhausted by a flurry of work, Max would then wrestlete into the night with a mishmash of item statements. Her anxiety piled up with theck of guidance and uncertainty for her endeavors. A worried Rudis would cajole her, ¡°Madam, you look very tired. You should take some rest¡­.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m all right,¡± she would say immediately. Max checked the banquet hall where the crew was dutifully removing the stone tes and then went straight down to the first floor to rein in itemsing in from the upper branch. As if on cue, Aderon and his workers pulled in arge carriage into the castle. The servants of the castle unloaded the luggages inside the carriage and carefully carried it into the castle. ¡°They¡¯re some marble tes and tools required for the process.¡± ¡°Wh-what about the wi-windows¡­?¡± ¡°The upper branch in Anatol doesn¡¯t have that much ss. We have to order it from the capital or from Libadon to get decent quality ss. For now, I¡¯ll send a telegram to see if we can purchase in bulk quantities of ss from a nearby branch.¡±
She almost replied with her thanks at the words that seemed like they were out of kindness. Then, Max took him to the living room, swallowing a sigh on her own. She was acting like a deep-rooted servile person as the zealous merchant began to exin the time and cost of the refurnishings before the maid could even bring him a cup of tea. Max tried to be attentive to every detail, grasping every inch of what he was saying without missing anything. However, as soon as Aderon began to use a mixture of unfamiliar currency names, her head became more and more of a convoluted mess. She sweated hard as she tried to catch up with all the calctions. One Soldem is 20 Lms, 20 Lms equals 240 Derhams, 240 Derhams equal 12 Denars, and 30 Denars equal¡­. ¡°Oh my, I was too excited just now. Please forgive me!¡± The merchant ceased his rambles just when she felt her head was about to explode. She shed him a narrow smile. ¡°N-No, it¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°I guess I can¡¯t help but feel enthused at the thought of contributing to the redecoration of the great Lord Calypse¡¯s castle.¡± ¡°Th-thank you, For think-thinking like that¡­.¡± Chapter 58: Max's Resolve (2) Chapter 58 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (2) Aderon rose from his seat with an awkward face, leaving behind the parchment paper with several exnations written down. As soon as he left, Max bolted for the library in haste. It took her several hours just to record the cost of the marbles and the wages for the workers. She heaved a weary sigh at her pathetic aplishment when she suddenly heard something behind her back. She looked back in surprise and was greeted by the sight of a man looming from behind in the far corner of the library, enclosed in a pile of books. ¡°Ru-Ruth¡­¡± The man looked back at her with his sullen eyes while scratching his light gray hair. Max didn¡¯t know how to react, so she replied with a nk stare in turn. He was now sitting on top of the precious ledgers. How long has he been lying there? ¡°Why are you so noisy these days?¡± The wizard suddenly frowned andined, seemingly feeling no embarrassment encountering thedy of the estate while sleeping on the library floor. Max stuttered back, bewildered by his imposing manner. ¡°Ca-Castle¨CI¡¯m re-redecorating the castle¡­.¡± ¡°The castle is the castle, but what I¡¯m asking about is madam Calypse¡¯s business.¡±
¡°M-me¡­?¡± ¡°Who else? You¡¯ve been whining in the library for thest few days. Did you know you have been greatly disturbing my sleep?¡± Her mouth hung agape, ashamed over the fact that someone had been watching her piteous acts of groaning, sighing and tearing at her hair. She instantly felt furious with him for not telling her his presence had been nearby in her times of anguish¡­ and stupefied that she was being reproached instead of getting an apology. She didn¡¯t know which of the three emotions she should react to. While she stood there astonished and unable to respond, the man rose from his makeshiftfort and went right before her. ¡°Are you¡­ a bookkeeper?¡± She hurriedly snatched up the sheets of paper on her desk, bleakly hiding them from his sight. However, the man just ignored her effort to conceal the papers and nimbly picked them up from her evasive hands to scrutinize the incorrigible handwriting. The next moment, the wizard¡¯s eyebrows quivered. ¡°¡­ just how many miscalctions do you even have?¡± ¡°Gi-Give it¡­!¡±
He turned around to keep the paper away from her outstretched arm and kept looking over the contents in sheer horror. He blurted out a low groan. ¡°Why is one marble te twenty Liam? I¡¯m sure you just wrote the wrong units, right? Please tell me you merely mixed up units.¡± ¡°Ju-just right now¡­ I-I was in the m-middle of fixing it¡­!¡± Max desperately exined herself to Ruth, who was on the verge of foaming at the mouth in anger. He, who was ring at her with squinted eyes, instantly went for the books she was hiding behind her back. She was bbergasted at his straightforward behavior. A gentleman should never touch ady¡¯s things without permission, or so she had always been told. The act of forcefully snatching away ady¡¯s belongings without permission was something only a ruffian would do. Max pulled on the hem of her dress with a red face. ¡°Gi-give it back! Ho-how, how could you, dd-do, do something so, so, rude¡­!¡± ¡°¡­ Just how much have you spent in thest few days?¡± She flinched and carefully looked up at him. The wizard¡¯s face was horribly distorted and her heart sank at the sight of it. Was something wrong? Ruth clenched his teeth and slowly gathered the strength to ask. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°We-well, that¡¯s¡­.¡±
Cold sweat trickled down her body as she tried to think of an answer. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­ said not to worry about money.¡± ¡°But you should at least know how much you spent, no?¡± The reproach made her face burn with difiture. She shrank away and couldn¡¯t look straight, akin to when her private tutor had admonished her for her pronunciations. ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t know the exact, exact number..¡± ¡°Do you know the approximate amount?¡± As soon as she slowly shook her head, the wizard rubbed his temples violently, attempting to regte his annoyance. For a moment, she wondered why she was being scolded by him, but then the fear of having done something terribly wrong gnawed at her. So, Max confessed after a long hesitation. ¡°A-a-actually¡­ I-I-I¡¯m not familiar w-with this kind of work, so¡­.¡± ¡°If you aren¡¯t familiar you should at least ask for help!¡± His words uttered in frustration were too right that she couldn¡¯t say a word in response. Max trembled in horror, feeling like the biggest fool in the world. ¡°Is-is it really that¡­ wro-wro-wrong?¡± ¡°First of all, the ledger is a mess. Some items are ridiculously cheap, some ridiculously expensive¡­ the calctions don¡¯t match at all. Also, these item purchases¨Cthere are too many unnecessary purchases! While it¡¯s true that Lord Calypse made a ridiculous amount of money from the battle against the dragon, you can¡¯t just spend it without thought! There are numerous knights and guards in Anatol and we are responsible for their upkeep. Most importantly, we are nning on building a big road that will connect the port to the vige next year. To add, winter is approaching so our tax revenues will take a hit. We have to try and cut back on any kind of possible waste!¡± Max shrank her neck in like a turtle at the relentless onught of censure. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t, know¡­ I-I didn¡¯t hear anything about that. He-he just said to do whatever I want.¡± Ruth let out a deep sigh after he heard her mumblings. As if he had lost all his energy, he drooped his shoulders and continued. ¡°I¡¯m not saying redecorating the castle itself is wrong. It¡¯s true we have be like a military factory that doesn¡¯t care about anything but defense. But it¡¯s too much. If you keep spending money like this, it will be just a couple years before Lord Calypse has to go rob another Dragon Lair.¡± ¡°Th-that¡­¡± Max reeled back about to copse and gripped the chair firmly. She was trying to give the castle a massive facelift to make Riftan d¡­ after all, it was the responsibility of the mistress of the house to keep things beautiful too. She felt all the blood in her body leave as she thought of how her husband might go berserk for her misguided actions like the man in front of her. Max looked up at him with tears in her eyes. ¡°If-if you te-teach me what I did wrong, I-I will fix it¡­.¡±
Update Schedule: 4x a week [??] [??] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] ¨C> expect these chapters for this week! <3> Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read these chapters in advance:
Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 59: Her Blatant Ignorance (1) Chapter 59 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (1) In the quiet study, the air stood still. Except for the ruffling of pages, there was nary a sound. There were only two people in the study, yet it was more suffocating than a crowded room full of mour. As he flicked through the pages of the ledger, every now and then, Ruth pressed the middle of his forehead with his forefinger as if trying to pin down his emotions. As he went through line after line, word after word, his thoughts dared not reflect on his face. Nearby, a sullen Max stood still, like a child who had been reprimanded for wrongdoings. Her gaze was fixed on the ledger as well as if it held authoritarian power over her future. Every time a page turned, her heart paused. Every fleeting second, she¡¯d steal a glimpse of the vacant visage before her, trying to gauge the other¡¯s mood. She could, however, glean nothing and could only go back to feeling more sullen. After what felt like forever, his wordless audit had finally drawn to a close. The party in charge of the rising tension in the room, let out a deep sigh and roughly rubbed his face out of habit. Then, he turned to the only other person in the room, and without preamble, looked her straight in the eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to talk about first,¡± he said impassively. Max, who was by now a bundle of nerves, felt like crawling into a hole. She had little courage to face what was toe.
¡°Are you sure you have all the purchase bills in here?¡± His face did not betray his thoughts even now. ¡°Y-yes! The b-bundle of p-papers there¡­¡± He narrowed his eyes at the pile of parchment paper she was referring to, then closed the ledger with a smack that reverberated in the silent room. Max quivered ever so slightly. ¡°We can start tomorrow as it¡¯s quitete already.¡± He solemnly suggested. ¡°Yo-you ca-can t-tell me no-now¡­¡± She had been on the edge for far too long, the sooner she was done with the better it would be. If she had to go through this for a minute longer, she was afraid of an imminent nervous breakdown. However¡­ ¡°This ledger isn¡¯t something that we can fix in a couple of days.¡± Max immediately pursed her lips, silenced by the sharp words. What did she have to say? Ultimately, all she could do was quietly nod, burning in silent shame. ??????
¡°You¡¯re early!¡± The next morning saw Max rushing to the library as soon as she woke up. She didn¡¯t want to dy even a moment more than necessary to set right the ledger. Her entire night had been spent in jitters, the bags under the eyes serving as proof. When he saw the dainty figure scurrying into the room, Ruth greeted her with azy, unimpressive yawn. He was sleeping in a corner, dressed in his usual, tattered apparel from before. It seemed like it took him great effort to straighten himself up, and the look he shot her all along was of someone who had been disturbed in the midst of something very important. Max narrowed her eyes, clearly aware of what the gaze on her meant. She had snuck out of her room shortly after sunrise. Before leaving, she¡¯d wiped her face with a wet towel, not wanting to bump into any servants looking unkempt. By the time she made it here, she was panting and a thinyer of sweat had made its way on her flushed face. And was this man, living free and easy, silently using her of invading his privacy while she had spent the night on pins and needles? If anyone knew that he was the one Max feared, they would scoff it off calling it absurd. ¡°Let¡¯s look at the purchase records first. We should cancel any unnecessary orders before it¡¯s toote.¡± Without wasting a moment, he pulled out a chair from the desk, made himselffortable, and got straight to the point. Surprised by the sudden change in demeanor, Max tucked her ubed, messy hair behind her ear in a bid to hide her unease and quietly took the seat opposite him. She attempted to break the terse silence. ¡°The me-merchant wi-wi-will be coing th-this af-af-afternoon. I can can-cancel a-any orders to-today.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± He simply answered. He deftly organized the parchment papers by date and started to go through each of them in detail. As he looked through the records, she gripped onto her skirt nervously and waited with bated breath, not daring to utter a peep lest he is irked. ¡°Firstly,¡± he finally said, ¡°20 lirams for a marble tile¡­ you wrote it down incorrectly. A marble tile 1 cubet by 1 cubet for 20 derhams is not a ridiculously expensive price. No, it¡¯s actually quite cheap.¡±
Just when Max sighed in relief, she discovered she had celebrated too soon. Ruth tapped the desk with his fingers and continued in the same detached tone. ¡°But I¡¯m not certain if switching the floors of both the hall and banquet room into marble tiles is necessary. It¡¯s not long since they¡¯ve been changed into stone tiles,¡± he said and sighed. ¡°I reckon there¡¯s nothing we can do since construction has already begun. Nevertheless, Lord Calypse deserves this kind of luxury so it should be fine.¡± ¡°B-but they ha-haven¡¯t sta-started wi-with the ha-hall so w-we can can-cancel¡­¡± ¡°That would be great, thank you.¡± He replied dryly and went onto the other sections. ¡°Everything else looks fine. Stair handrails, balcony banisters, windowsill, curtains and carpets, wall decorations, furniture, chandeliers and statues, fount¡­ fountains?!¡± His t voice screeched when he reached the end of the list. Max flinched like someone had pped her on the back. He whipped his head around and red at her with narrow eyes, tacitly demanding an exnation. Unable to dare to look straight at him, she looked away and started spurting excuses. ¡°The me-merchant sa-said it¡¯ll lo-look goo-good in th-the ga-garden¡­¡± ¡°Do you know how much money goes into maintaining a fountain? Drawing water is a huge construction in itself! And what¡¯s more, it¡¯s made of marbles and crystals? This bastard is trying to rip you off!¡± At his angry cry, Max dropped her head. It looked like she¡¯d shrank in size. No matter how pitiful she appeared, his caustic remarks didn¡¯t meet their end. ¡°And where did the idea of changing every single window in the castle with high-quality sse from? This is a kind of luxury the emperor during the Roem Dynasty would¡¯ve had! Do you know how expensive ss is?¡± ¡°Cro-croix Castle has -ss win-windows¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s owned by the Croix family! Madam, your father is one of the richest people in all Seven Kingdoms!¡± He couldn¡¯t believe she wasparing such pr opposites! If Lord Calypse was rich, then the Duke of Croix¡¯s wealth could only be described as exorbitant. Even themoners were aware of this fact, how could his own daughter be oblivious?! Chapter 60: Her Blatant Ignorance (2) Chapter 60 ¨C Her tant Ignorance (2) Ruth thumped his chest with frustration. He was trying in vain to quell his agitation, knowing well he was speaking to thedy of the house. But his emotions couldn¡¯t be pacified with her preposterous ns. Even so, he exined as calmly as he could. ¡°ss is not practical at all. Instion of ss is extremely poor that it will be no different to living with the windows open. Moreover, knights often train in the backyard and it will be only a matter of time when such expensive windows shatter to pieces from swinging swords. Another thing, it scratches easily so it¡¯ll be challenging to manage them. Servants will be spending most of their time polishing them and soon, you¡¯ll be short-handed.¡± When he picked the points Max had never thought of, she quietened even further. He looked through to the veryst bill and only then did his face softened a little. It was unknown if it was the realization of his brusqueness up until now or the mere content of the bill, even so, the ensuing words had a hint of softness. ¡°Fortunately, not everything has been ordered. Why don¡¯t we agree to change the windows of the main hall, banquet room, and some of the guest rooms into ss, and the remaining rooms can either be converted to balt ss or have double covering for instion? It¡¯ll be very useful in the winter if you add an outer door and have them partially ajar to let fresh air in. That will be enough to show off your wealth to the guests without burning a hole in your pocket.¡± He pulled out a new piece of parchment paper and drew a blueprint of the castle as he exined. Max nkly looked at the drawing and nodded. ¡°A-all r-right. I-I¡¯ll t-tell him th-that.¡± ¡°The crystal fountain is not worth anything.¡±
He tossed the parchment paper in his other hand over his shoulders and dipped the quill into the inkwell as he set a new piece of paper in front of her. ¡°Let¡¯s get rid of the garish ones and one by one note down those absolutely necessary,¡± he said, seemingly taking the reins in his hand. A nonplussed Max simply stared at the quill in horror. She was expecting him to rewrite the ledger for her, but here he was just enlisting things and handing over the vital aspect to her. She certainly didn¡¯t want a rerun of the rebuking session! ¡°W-what if I-I make a mi-mistake ag-again¡­¡± She tried to hint that he must draft it. ¡°You¡¯ll be taking care of this in the future. I¡¯ll guide you in the right direction, so don¡¯t worry.¡± He had made his stand crystal clear. She looked down at the ledger, feeling lost. Her head was as nk as the paper in front of her. Panicking, Max sifted through the bills and searched for something to write. She tried to calm herself and looked for the oldest purchase record and wrote down the items purchased and the details with it. She followed it with the number of people hired, their wages and contract period, and then¡­ things began to getplicated with only her meager knowledge in work. Max scrunched numbers, scribbling down numbers as sweatced her temples. How much was each currency worth? How should I calcte? She turned bemused by the second. Her fingers tightly clenched the quill as if to squeeze out the answers. Upon noticing how flustered a mere ledger had made her, Ruth furrowed his brows. He seemed to have an inclination as to what was going on in her mind, but he still opened his mouth in order not to assume.
¡°Just to be sure, you do know the currency units, right?¡± ¡°I-I k-know them!¡± She anxiously denied, horror creeping within at the possibility of her secret being discovered. However, the wizard looked at her narrowly with suspicion. Under the intense scrutiny she was being subjected to, Max held her breath and managed to add¡­ ¡°I-I¡¯m just¡­ I ne-never u-used mo-money before, I¡­¡± Without another beat, Ruthunched a question. ¡°How much is 60 lirams in soldems?¡± ¡°I-I, um, fo-four?¡± She folded and straightened all of her ten fingers and blurted out an answer she fervently hoped was right. But at his resulting re, she quickly took her answer back. ¡°Thr-three!¡± ¡°How much soldems do you get from 24 denars in soldems?¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± ¡°What about 10 lirams in derhams?¡±
Almost in tears, Max¡¯s face flushed with shame and humiliation. Yet the sharp pair of eyes were still intently staring at her, unfazed by her crumbling emotions. It¡¯s all over! He must have figured out I¡¯m a halfwit. He¡¯s going to think that I¡¯m a stutterer, a mere idiot. Will he tell Riftan? She dropped her head in trepidation, any lower and it would have touched the floor. After a silence that seemed to stretch on forever, she heard a weary sigh. ¡°Even Princess Agnes wasn¡¯t this ignorant of the world! How sheltered did you grow up?¡± Unable to give any excuse, she bit her lip. Her mortification was for everyone to see. Ruth was silent for a long moment and exhaled loudly as he went through the inner pocket of his robe, fishing out a small pouch. ¡°Listen closely,¡± he said as he picked two silver coins. One was thick and wide as his middle finger, and the other was thin and wide¡­ two-thirds of a pinky. Ruth tapped on therge coin bearing the insignia of a bird with its wings spread. ¡°This is a liram. It¡¯s a silver coin the Roem Empire created and spread all across the continent. It is worth twelve times this smaller coin, the derham,¡± he said pointing at the smaller coin. ¡°Derhams are from Rakasim in the Southern continent. It has been used widely since the trade with this continent has grown these few years ago. It¡¯s small but carries a high credit.¡± She looked at the small silver he¡¯s ced on his palm, concealing her fascination. It was her first time seeing a coin this close. Ruth let her observe for a bit and continued exining. ¡°Lirams are exactly twelve times heavier than derhams. That¡¯s why twelve derhams are exchanged for one liram.¡± He then pulled out two gold coins. One was big as a liram and the other as a derham. ¡°This big one is a soldem, created by the Roem Empire, just like lirams. This small one is a denar, also from Rakasim. Likewise, soldems are twelve times heavier than denars. ¡°Wh-why does th-the So-southern co-continent make s-such s-small coins?¡± ¡°Business in the Southern continent is far more developed than where we are. If a coin is toorge, trade between individuals cannot be possible.¡± He answered as if her question was bothersome. She couldn¡¯t fully understand him, but Max didn¡¯t ask more questions. Ruth put the coins down and continued talking more about money. ¡°Gold coins are worth 20 times more than silver coins. A single soldem is exchanged for 20 lirams and a single denar is exchanged for 20 derhams.¡± Weekly Releases: [??] [??] [??] [??] [ ] [ ] ¨C> expect these chapters for this week! <3> Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read these chapters in advance: Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 61: Her Unofficial Help (1) Chapter 61 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (1) ¡°Th-then this small go-gold coin¡­ How much is o-one de-denar worth in li-lirams?¡± Max asked about the part she was most confused about. ¡°It doesn¡¯te to an exact number. Five lirams are worth three denars.¡± Ruth answered as he pushed the gold coins from the South and therge silver coin from Roem forward. She quickly wrote his words down on the paper. Five lirams equal three denars. Watching her, Ruth sighed softly. ¡°I assume you are confused when using lirams and denars together. Soldems are arge unit hence infrequently used; the same goes with derhams because they are too small. Silver lirams from Roem and golden denar from Rakasim serve as the regr medium of exchange between nobles and merchants. For that reason, it¡¯s a real pain as they¡¯re not converted as easily as we would like. It¡¯s not like we can crush the coins into smaller pieces¡­ In the end, we convert all of them into derhams and it bes easier after that.¡± Max nodded gloomily. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t k-know t-there were¡­ s-so ma-many different ki-kinds of mo-money¡­¡± ¡°This is nothing. There are coins from Balto in the North and Suikan in the East. The purity of the silver and its weight are the same as soldem and lirams, so they¡¯re not used separately like the denar and derhams¡­ but it will be useful to keep in mind the different shapes at least.¡± Ruth rummaged through the pouch and frowned.
¡°I don¡¯t have any gold coins from Balto and Suikan. I¡¯ll try to get themter.¡± Max was only terrified at the names of more coins and regions. It was only going to confuse her more if he brought them to her. ¡°D-do I ne-need to kn-know them if the si-sizes are si-simr to so-soldems and li-lirams? I¡¯ll ju-just need to ch-check the si-size¡­¡± ¡°Recently, there is a growing number of feudal lords producing their coins to show off their wealth and power. But most of them are mixed with lead and copper, so you must filter them out. On the other hand, the coins from Balto and Suikan have high purity, so it¡¯ll be extremely useful to know how to distinguish them. Soon, there will be merchants from the North and Easting into Anatol.¡± ¡°O-okay¡­¡± ¡°The coins with high credit are soldem, liram, denar, derham and copper segals used by themoners and dants used by a few prominent people¡­ That should be enough for you to know.¡± ¡°Ho-how m-much is da-dants worth?¡± Max asked, having never heard of it before. ¡°Dants are the most valuable coins in this world. It was manufactured during the wealthiest periods of the Roem Dynasty. It¡¯s made of Orihalcon and is the size of a palm, and only 600 exist in the whole continent. I believe Lord Calypse has 160 of them.¡± Ruth replied with a t voice.
Max was surprised that he owned 160 of those precious coins. He then switched to a bragging tone as if they were his. ¡°They were found in the den of the devils in the Osiria Canyon, six years ago. At that time, Lord Calypse frantically hunted after evil spirits and collected their treasures as if he was possessed by something. Dants were one of the precious things he collected. Initially, he found 200 of them but used 40 dants for building a rampart, getting maintenance work done on the castle and installing a road in the vige.¡± ¡°Y-you can d-do all that wi-with o-only fo-forty co-coins?¡± ¡°He used twice as much as the estimated cost. He paid the workers several times more to speed up the construction process.¡± Ruth explicitly put on a displeased look on his face. This wizard seemed to be strict about money. ¡°Y-you must have kn-know Ri-Riftan fo-for a lo-long time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known Lord Calypse since he was a soldier. That was about twelve years ago.¡± Her curiosity soared when she heard this. He would¡¯ve been fifteen then. Was he a soldier since? She¡¯d heard that he was eighteen when he became a knight. Normally, it took three years of training and a year of serving as a chambein to officially receive a sword to be a knight. ¡°Now, now. Let¡¯s stop the small talk and continue with the ledger. We should finish this before the merchant arrives, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± Max swallowed her questions and returned to the ledger at his reminder. Chapter 62: Her Unofficial Help (2) Chapter 62 ¨C Her Unofficial Help (2) Upon hearing that Max wanted to cancel most of the orders, Aderon wore a worried look and tried to persuade her with his glib tongue. She almost fell for it but remembering Ruth¡¯s re and how he treated her like an extravagant woman, Max was able to keep her opinion. Realizing there was nothing he could do, Aderon sighed and handed over a new written statement. Max tried to estimate how much the price Aderon wrote was worth in her head. Imagining the gold and silver coins Ruth showed her in a pile¡­ she was able to grasp that the price she was paying was never a small amount of money. She devoutly signed the paper and left the room. When she told him that things have gone well, Ruth rxed his brows a little. ¡°Can you show me the statement?¡± She handed it over. ¡°Well, this man isn¡¯tpletely unscrupulous,¡± the wizard finally said after reading the paper top to bottom. ¡°H-he ca-can t-try to fo-force you in-into bu-buying but he i-isn¡¯t a ba-bad person¡­¡±
¡°No one is bad in front of their sacrificial victim.¡± He spat a coldment which contrasted his rather gentle mien and pulled out a chair in front of him to sit down. Max also sat across him and rolled her eyes. She had known this before, but this man was extremely ill-tempered and liked to make blistering remarks, unlike his soft and kind looking face. His crooked way of seeing things was somewhat simr to Riftan, apart from his talkative and nosey side. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at it. Try writing it in the ledger.¡± ¡°O-okay¡­¡± She didn¡¯t pose a question on how he¡¯d naturally be her supervisor and merely toed the line. ¡°Here, the calction is wrong again.¡± ¡°Oh, I-I¡¯m so-sorry.¡± He looked at her numbers and tapped the corner of the parchment paper again, massaging the middle of his brows. She hurriedly corrected her mistake. He then pointed at the section below.
¡°Here, the unit is wrong.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m s-¡° ¡°And it will help to have your statements written in detail. That way, you can avoid any confusion when you tally the ounts in the future.¡± ¡°O-okay¡­¡± ¡°Here, you have misspelt. This will be a document left for generations, so please restrain from scribbling the words.¡± The tutor her father had assigned hadn¡¯t been this strict. Neither was he patient. The result was what it was now. She wrote the letters clearly, fearing that he was going to point them out again. After she was done, Ruth checked the ledger as if going through her homework. ¡°This is good enough,¡± he said arrogantly as he closed the ledger. His face looked easy andx. ¡°With this, every problem has been solved. Now, I would appreciate it if you stoping to the library and interrupting my sleep.¡± Max rolled her eyes. Was he thinking of continuing to sleep here? Riftan clearly said this man was using the tower in the backyard¡­ No, it was not something for her to interfere. After thinking for a while, she slowly opened her lips. ¡°W-we de-decided tondscape the ga-garden next sp-spring¡­¡±
¡°¡­.¡± Ruth horrendously contorted his face. Max pulled out the shamelessness she didn¡¯t know she had and pleaded. The hours she spent trying to work out things she had never done before alone shed before her eyes. She didn¡¯t want to go back pulling her hair, unable to make out heads or tails. Since she had already been embarrassed, she thought there won¡¯t be any more harm asking for more help. ¡°A-and the mai-maintenance in the annex¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ruth grabbed his head with regret. ?? After that day, Ruth officially became Max¡¯s helper in organizing the ledger. When she quietly approached him sleeping on the floor of the library, he woke up mumbling how he regretted helping her in the first ce, but thoroughly went through the book, nevertheless. Furthermore, he advised her on purchases for the castle. It was more of a nag than advice, but they were valuable words. Since then, Max started to ask for advice on even little things. ¡°I think the servants will be thrown off if you order them to pull out the tree next to the gazebo,¡± Ruth said after quietly listening to her n on redecorating the garden. She tilted her head to the side. ¡°I-It¡¯s dead a-and do-doesn¡¯t sprout le-leaves an-anymore.¡± ¡°People of Anatol believe that spirits lie in trees. For that reason, people here do not uproot trees simply because they¡¯re dead and regard logging as sacred work. The servants will be shocked at your order to remove the tree just because it looks bad. ¡°Bu-but¡­¡± Max was befuddled. She had never known of such a custom back in Croix. ¡°I-if we te-tell them i-it will b-be used for fi-fire, then wo-would i-it be ac-ac-eptable? I-I mean, i-it¡¯s hi-hideous¡­¡± ¡°They might ept it.¡± He frowned and stroked his chin. ¡°But I¡¯m worried that the tree by the gazebo is an oak.¡± ¡°Wha-what about oa-oaks?¡± ¡°People here deeply believe in the legend about the first knight who rode a dragon and flew into the sky. The hill where Uigru hopped onto the dragon is the hill right there.¡± Next week we are going to learn about the legend of the oak tree finally :)) Weekly Releases: [??] [??] [??] [??] [??] [??] Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read these chapters in advance: Mother Earth ¨C 2 chapters for $2.99 Chapter 63 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (1) Chapter 64 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (2) Beautiful Venus ¨C 5 chapters for $4.99 Chapter 65 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (1) Chapter 66 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (2) Chapter 67 ¨C Slowly Settling In (1) Blue Mercury ¨C 8 chapters for $9.99 Chapter 68 ¨C Slowly Settling In (2) Chapter 69 ¨C Her First Kind Companions (1) Chapter 70 ¨C Her First Kind Companions (2) Intriguing Pluto ¨C 11 chapters for $15.99 Chapter 71 ¨C Strange Affinity to Magic (1) Chapter 72 ¨C Strange Affinity to Magic (2) Chapter 73 ¨C Familiar Fears (1) zing Sun ¨C 15 chapters for $25.99 Chapter 74 ¨C Familiar Fears (2) Chapter 75 ¨C The Lord¡¯s Return (1) Chapter 76 ¨C The Lord¡¯s Return (2) Chapter 77 ¨C Riftan¡¯s Anger Glowing Sirius ¨C 20 chapters for $45.99 Chapter 78 ¨C One Head for Every Scratch (1) Chapter 79 ¨C One Head for Every Scratch (2) 19 Chapter 80 ¨C I Want All of Him (1) 19 Chapter 81 ¨C I Want All of Him (2) 19 Chapter 82 ¨C A Bold Kiss (1) The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99 Chapter 83 ¨C A Bold Kiss (2) Chapter 84 ¨C A Constant me (1) Chapter 85 ¨C A Constant me (2) Chapter 86 ¨C Trying Her Best (1) Chapter 87 ¨C Trying Her Best (2) Chapter 88 ¨C Concerns (1) Chapter 89 ¨C Concerns (2) Chapter 90 ¨C Lessons on Defensive Sorcery (1) Chapter 91 ¨C Lessons on Defensive Sorcery (2) Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 63: The Legend of the Oak Tree (1) Chapter 63 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (1) Ruth pointed towards the steep hill beyond the window. While she knew about the Legend of Uigru, it was still a tale novel to her ears. It was every boy and girl¡¯s bedtime story. How, the gods bestowed Uigru a holy sword and he put an end to the dark war while uniting the western world and establishing the Kingdom of Roem. Even after all these years of knowing it, the awe didn¡¯t wane the slightest. In fact, the scene in which he rode a white dragon and flew into the sky was so famous that it served as an inspiration to many a bard and painter. Her eyes glistened at the fact that the celebrated and sacred spot was right in front of her. ¡°I-is that tr-true?¡± It was a curious question on her part, for the epic tale of a bygone era seemed to havee alive before her eyes. She could almost feel the air, the fervor and the exultation as if she were a part of it all. ¡°People of Anatol believe so, but there is no historical evidence.¡± He added. And with that, the excitement visibly drained from her face. The legend that she had grown up on, was now a sacrament and Uigru revered throughout . ¡°Bu-but what do-does that have to d-do with the o-oak tree?¡±
¡°You know the part where Uigru, the hero, made love to the spirit of an oak tree. People believe that the spirit still waits for Uigru to return. Women from the vige gather around the tree during the spring festival each year and sing the spirit¡¯s song of love. ¡°S-so that¡¯s why th-they wo-would ne-never take do-down the tr-tree.¡± Ruth nodded. Max considered his exnation. Regardless, the tree was still hideous to be standing in front of the main entrance of the castle. ¡°Wo-would the se-servants re-rebel i-if I order them to re-remove the tr-tree?¡± ¡°Anatolians do worship Uigru quite a lot, so they won¡¯t be satisfied with your decision.¡± She frowned at the memory of people calling Riftan as Roems¡¯s Uigru. Ruth deeply sighed at the sight of an agonizing Max . ¡°I can try bringing it back to life.¡±
¡°Ca-can you br-bring a de-dead tree ba-back to li-li-life?¡± ¡°A nt¡¯s life is very different from a human¡¯s. It may seem dead, yet, in some cases, it¡¯s just asleep. I can try applying some mana to it¡­¡± He slurred, not bothering to go into the details. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee you, but at least you can say you hired a wizard to bring a tree back to life. If the results aren¡¯t great, you can show the servants that you at least tried.¡± Max stiffened at his harsh tone. ¡°D-do you thi-think I thi-think too much about th-the pe-people under m-me?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to be sarcastic. There¡¯s nothing wrong with a newdy trying to earn her servants¡¯ respect. You¡¯ve just arrived here so I¡¯m sure you have a lot on your mind, ma¡¯am.¡± Ruth replied kindly, which was a rarity. But Max wasn¡¯t rxed. She must¡¯ve be used to the man¡¯s rude and grumpy way he spoke. She rolled her eyes and carefully continued. ¡°The-then, ye-yes please, I wo-would like tha-that.¡± Ruth wore a look of uncertainty. He seemed to be wondering why he kept putting himself into a very tiring position. As if the ledger wasn¡¯t enough, now he had a tree to revive. And he only had himself to me for that. I just want this renovation to end and have my quiet life back. ?????? The construction went on smoothly. The stone flooring from the banquet floor was reced with glossy marble tiles, smooth mahogany, greased window sills were fixed.
Following Ruth¡¯s advice, expensive crystal ss windows were put up in the banquet hall and the eightrgest guest rooms, balt ss went up in the knights¡¯ dorm, library and dining room. The other rooms and corridors had processed sheepskin for instion and an outer door on the window. With that, the castle hadpletely transformed into a new building. Even the servants seemed to appreciate the vibrant energy in the newly renovated Calypse Castle. No oneined about sweeping the floors twice a day, which was usually covered with dust from the soles of the workers who rushed to and fro. ¡°Did you see the new furniture that arrived today? It looks marvelous.¡± ¡°Oh, and the curtains! I can¡¯t wait for the chandelier to be hung. It¡¯ll be the most beautiful banquet hall in all of Whedon, without a doubt.¡± ¡°The hall has never looked this nice before. The wall decorations are going up after all the windows are reced, right?¡± Running up and down the corridor, Max paused at the servant¡¯s cheerful talk. Three young servants holding arge basket ofundry were chatting among themselves with excitement. They were the new hands hired through Aderon¡¯s rmendation. ¡°The lord will be astonished, won¡¯t he?¡± ¡°He will definitely be so pleased. I heard he was shocked at the sight of the castle when he returnedst time.¡± Max felt her heart tremble hearing their joyful chatter. Would Riftan really like it? What if he thought it was excessive? She immediately put her worries aside. Ruth said it was fine¡­ Although I could tell he was a bit uneasy. She continued down the stairs to the first floor. Along with the renovation, she had to prepare for winter. There had to be enough firewood and food in the storage, winter clothings for the servants and guards, as well as water and feed for the horses. With Riftan gone, everything became her responsibility as thedy of the house. ?????? Chapter 64: The Legend of the Oak Tree (2) Chapter 64 ¨C The Legend of the Oak Tree (2) ¡°Madam, the new wallnterns and brazier have just arrived. Would you like to go through them?¡± Rodrigo dly said, carrying a wooden box indoors with other servants. When she nodded, Rodrigo ced the box on the floor of the hall and opened it with a wooden poker. Inside the box were nine glossy wallnterns. ¡°There¡¯s a total of fifteen boxes of these, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°O-open all the b-boxes and l-look for f-faulty p-products, and t-then i-install them i-in the b-banquet h-hall and c-corridor.¡± ¡°And the brazier, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°T-two in the di-dining room and the re-rest in the knights¡¯ do-dorm and gu-guardhouse. ¡°Very well, ma¡¯am.¡± A train of servants carrying the boxes walked into the corridor. Max turned her steps and left the great hall.
The temperature was dropping, which meant winter was close. She blew her breath into the air to see if she could see it, and headed to the stable, going around the garden and through the trail. She was going to visit the stable, the annex and the cksmith room to check if anything needed replenishing. When she went through the ledgers from the past, she realized the priordy of the house went around the castle once every year and kept a record of things in storage. Reflecting on how she poured all her effort into decorating the great hall, she decided to spend the day taking care of the other facilities. She started by paying a visit to the stable. When she appeared, the horsemen transporting fodder jumped, removed their hat and bowed. ¡°Madam! What brings you here? You could¡¯ve sent a servant over¡­¡± It was Kunel Osban, one of the first people she was introduced to on her first day at the castle. He ran forward at the sight of her. Max took a deep breath and calmly parted her lips. ¡°Ev-everyone is qui-quite bu-busy. I-I was ge-getting re-re-ready for wi-winter and was wo-wondering if the sta-stable ne-needed anything. I-I heard there is le-less trade when th-the tem-temperature dro-drops¡­¡± ¡°Oh, thank you for your concern, madam. I was about to inform Rodrigo about those things, so it¡¯s perfect timing.¡± Kunel¡¯s face lit up instantly. He opened the door and shone amp for her to see inside. Max frowned a little at the stench and stuck only her upper body into the building. Inside, there stood twenty horses chewing on hay in a clean stable that had just finished sweeping. He pointed towards the far end of the room as he continued. ¡°The partition needs changing, ma¡¯am. The wood is old and there isn¡¯t enough of it, so it has been a problem for some time.¡±
¡°The-then shall I or-order more woo-wood?¡± ¡°Yes! Ah, and we may need more dry hay for the winter.¡± ¡°Su-sure. I-is there an-anything else?¡± ¡°That is more than enough ma¡¯am. Thank you for your concern.¡± The old man beamed. Max smiled along with him. The people who once shuddered with fear around her were now looking her in the eye and talking to her sincerely. Her tongue was stiff as usual, but thanks to the frequent conversations she had for the past few days, she felt like she was stuttering less than in the past. Proud at her improvement, she walked out of the stable and into therge field. The shadow from the rampart added an extra chill to the air. She tightened the shawl around her shoulders. A breeze carrying a scent of grass grazed past her hair. She brushed a few loose strands of hair from her face and soon stopped walking when she remembered how Riftan had said he liked the puffiness of her locks, akin to a cloud. When she raised her head, she saw the mountaintop he would¡¯ve climbed over when he left. Would Riftan have arrived at Drakium by now? He had gone to the capital of the kingdom to attend a grand feast held to congratte him. She imagined Riftan, dressed in silver armor, standing tall as he was showered with the praises from the nobles. He would look marvelous, just like the hero from the legend. She was sure nobody was going to ignore him or mention his background now. Even the noblewomen who¡¯d once looked at him with disdain would be captivated. When Max finished thinking, she felt blue. As she pictured Riftan in a fancy banquet hall, surrounded by beautiful women dressed in fancy apparel, anxiety crept from the bottom of her stomach. There ought to be younger and prettier women there. Riftan may have realized his mistake by now, upon receiving looks of admiration from thedies, and started to regret agreeing to carry on with the marriage. ¡°What are you doing all alone out here?¡±
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Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 65: The Storyteller and Knights Chapter 65 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (1) The sudden voice pulled Max out from her unpleasant thoughts. She turned back and saw two boys dressed head to toe in ck tunics looking at her curiously. At their gaze, she instantly straightened herself up, realizing that they were apprentices she had seen several times with Riftan before. The two boys politely bowed their heads as a greeting, hands on their chests in reverence as one would expect from a knight-in-training. ¡°We¡¯re sorry to have taken you by surprise. We were worried about the Madam being alone, so we had toe and talk to you,¡± the boy exined, looking apologetic. ¡°I-it¡¯s okay. Tha-thank you for¡­ worrying about me, I¡­¡± Her eyes wandered to the side, her tongue inexplicably finding difficulty with words to address the young boys before her. A boy with stunning silver hair was quick to notice this, and he introduced himself in haste. ¡°We apologize for thete introduction. I¡¯m Yurixion Lobar. We are knights in training waiting for our knighthood next year.¡± The taller boy next to him also opened his mouth to say, ¡°I¡¯m Garow Livacon. I¡¯m going to be knighted on the same day as my friend here,¡± he gestured to the silver-haired boy. Max fumbled with her hands, ¡°I, I am Max, Maximilian¡­ Calypse,¡± her introductioning out in an embarrassing stutter. Despite having already known her identity, Yurixion shed her an amicable smile, as if to reassure her.
¡°You must have been taking a walk alone,¡± he continued after the exchange of names hade to close. ¡°N, no¡­. I, I was touring the in-inner facilities,¡± she answered with some hesitancy, fearing thetter would reprimand her/ The boy¡¯s face turned grave after hearing her answer. ¡°It is dangerous for the Madam to travel alone even if it¡¯s just inside the castle.There has been frequent outside visitors these days and if somehow a mishap urs¨C¡± ¡°Mi-mishap¡­?¡± She asked back in shock, finding the situation quite nerve-wracking. Sensing their Madam¡¯s apprehension, the boy hurriedly added in panic, ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to scare you. I was just worried for the Madam of the estate¡­¡± then he added in an afterthought, ¡°Ah! If you don¡¯t mind, may we apany you, Madam?¡± Max hurriedly declined with a fervent shake of her head, ¡°N, No. I-I can¡¯t just take your, pre-precious time¡­¡±
¡°Please don¡¯t say something like that! It is an honor for a knight to serve the Madam. We, we may not have been officially knighted¡­ yet we would risk our lives only to save you from any danger,¡± the boy heatedly expressed. At the startling amount of fervor in his words, Max took an unconscious step back. Seeing their madam recoil, the boy next to him stabbed him in the ribs as a warning. ¡°Yuri, Stop exaggerating your words!¡± ¡°Exaggerating?! I am deadly serious, I truly would¡­¡± Perhaps realizing his brashness, the boy quickly mmed his mouth shut with some embarrassment. The next time he faced Max, he was a tad calmer. ¡°Anyways, you can¡¯t go around alone. I can call a guard if it¡¯s specifically my service you find not to your liking,¡± he gently said. As much as Max appreciated their efforts, she found it to be over the top to be guarded inside the castle¡¯s safe premises. ¡°It-it¡¯s just in-inside the castle¡­ to-to go that far¡­.¡± ¡°Madam, there is no guarantee that the castle is safe! If anything happened to you, Madam, I would be too ashamed to face Lord Calypse on his return.¡± The boy¡¯s face turned shades of blue with his rapt reply with the idea of their beloved leader scorning them. As soon as Max was greeted with the sight of the young boy¡¯s crumbing face as if the world was ending, she immediately felt sweat ooze from her pores. ¡°We-well if, if it worries you tha-that much¡­ then, please¡­¡± she finally acquiesced. Given her consent, the boy¡¯s face instantly lit up. She felt an onset of dizziness at the quick change of expression. ¡°Where should I escort you to, madam?¡± Resigned to her two newpanions, she quietly said, ¡°¡­I-I was on my way to-to the cksmith¡­.¡± ¡°What a coincidence! We were also on our way to the cksmith. I¡¯ll apany you there.¡± With that, Yurixion took the lead with energetic steps, a more cid Garow following after him with a shrug of his shoulders. It was only after a moment¡¯s hesitation that Max began to trail after them, feeling very awkward. The boy¡¯s passionate attitude was something refreshing to Max, and was a contrast against the callous, taciturn countenance of her husband, Ruth¡¯s bluntness, and the rest of the knight¡¯s indifference to her. ¡®He¡¯s probably 16¡­ maybe around 17 years old?¡¯ ¡°Do you have any special business with the cksmith?¡± The boy prompted her away from her thoughts. ¡°My-my business is¡­ when winteres¡­ merchants said, the-they woulde less often so¡­I-I¡¯m checking if they need a-anything.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°I see! I was on my way to the cksmith because I broke my sword while sparring,¡± he cheerfully pointed to the pointed de hanging on his waist. ¡°It¡¯s a bit embarrassing, but this is the second time it broke this month alone. I break it so often that the cksmith starts nagging as soon as he sees me.¡± A slight smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She could tell Yurixion was embarrassed by the faint tinge of red on his cheeks, and while his outpouring friendliness was quite overwhelming, Max could see he was a kind and easygoing person. ¡°I don¡¯t know when I can reach the tip of Lord Calypse¡¯s feet with mybors. No, rather, if I could amount to the furthest tip of the Lord¡¯s feet, it would already be an immense relief.¡± The boy beside him who had remained silent throughout suddenly quipped, ¡°We would be conscripted to the Remdragon Knights next year. Isn¡¯t your goal too low?¡± ¡°Garow, you still don¡¯t understand Lord Calypse¡¯s greatness.¡± He replied with a mild shake of his head. ¡°It¡¯s already a tremendous achievement to reach just the tip of the tip of the tip of his feet. Forget even reaching the tip of the tip of his feet!¡± ¡°Oh, really.¡± Thetter replied with a resigned tone and slightly fed up look on his face. Meanwhile, Max felt enthused at the boy¡¯s blind reverence for Riftan and she couldn¡¯t help but join their conversation. ¡°Ri-riftan¡­ Is-Is he that outstanding of a kn-knight?¡± Chapter 66: The Storyteller and Knights Chapter 66 ¨C The Storyteller and Knights-in-Training (2) ¡°Madam, he¡¯s not just outstanding!¡± The boy looked back at her as if she were describing Riftan with the most austere terms. He thenunched to a tirade of Riftan¡¯s outstanding achievements that led to his reputation: ¡°Lord Calypse is the greatest knight in the continent. There¡¯s a reason why he is called the wise man of Uigru! Across the continent, there are only five knights that are revered as Rossem Uigru! Two out of the five knights were bested by Sir Calypse. It was only six years ago that he beat Libadon¡¯s top knight, Sejour Aren, but he also beat the holy sword of Osiria, Kuahl Leon at the Western Union swordsmanshippetition!¡± Max only smiled vaguely in return. She had heard about themander of the Pdin Division many times, a manmended for his excellent swordsmanship¡ªyet, it never dawned on her that her husband could far surpass a man considered to be an elite knight in the continent. ¡°I decided to be a knight after seeing Sir Calypse performance during that swordpetition. I have admired him ever since,¡± the boy finally ended his impassioned speech with his devotion to Riftan. ¡°I, I see¡­.¡± Max replied at a loss for words. This, in turn, prompted a stern look on the boy¡¯s cheery face. ¡°Madam,¡± he somberly started, ¡°You have no idea how incredible Lord Calpyse is, do you?¡±
She hurriedly countered with her little knowledge on Riftan, ¡°I, I know¡­. a-about the d-dragon¡­.¡± ¡°Even if he did not participate in the expedition, Sir Calypse is still a great knight. Have you never seen him swing a sword before?¡± ¡°I, I have!¡± She interjected immediately, feeling quite defensive. ¡°I saw him fi-fighting a mo-monster¡­.¡± Her words trailed to a quiet whisper. She was not sure if her disclosure of the fiasco on their travel had counted as seeing. It was the first time Riftan had wielded his de in front of her, yet she had passed out, unable to see the spectacle. And on the second time it happened, the fight was over before she even knew it. But Max couldn¡¯t stomach the boys finding out herck of familiarity with her husband¡¯s feats. Therefore, she began to spin an exaggerated tale¡­ ¡°I-I also know,¡± she started, straightening up her spine, and her nervousness, as she recounted a profligate version of the fight. ¡°I-I saw Riftan cu-cut a gi-giant a-as bi-big as this fo-fort in ha-half! The-there was a to-total of te-ten gi-giants, bu-but he de-defeated them a-all i-in the b-blink of an e-eye.¡± She was describing the event shamelessly, even though, in reality, she could not remember how many of the fearsome beasts had appeared. She presumed, at the very least, there would have been ten. Her bluff proved sessful, as the boy looked at her with renewed enthusiasm on his na?ve face.
¡°For real? Ten giant ogres¡­!? What a story! Can you tell us more?¡± Max flinched at his enthusiasm. The boy¡¯s incredible excitement for the story caught Max off guard. However, at this point, she could not tell him the mortifying truth that she could not remember because she had fainted. She quickly remembered a tale she heard from a minstrel and made up an outrageous story, her stutters increasingly bing evident with the deepening lie. ¡°Whi-while we we-were on a ca-carriage, we-we su-suddenly he-heard a loud s-screech! I-it was s-so lo-loud tha-that I thought th-the s-sky wa-was te-tearing a-apart. M-my entire bo-body froze be-because I wa-was s-so scared; I-I di-didn¡¯t even re-realize th-that Ri-riftan to-took out hi-his sw-sword. And b-by the ti-time I no-noticed, Ri-riftan had already go-gone o-out t-to fi-fight.¡± ¡°Sir Calypse¡¯s swordsmanship is the fastest in the world! His enemies always end up with their head decapitated and their bodies split in half bleeding all over the ground before they even notice him taking out his sword!¡± The boy yelled with delight. Although she found it disconcerting how the boys enjoyed hearing such a morbid tale, she continued on regardless. ¡°O-outside, th-there we-were ten gi-giants as bi-big as a fo-fort¡­! A-all the knights d-drew their s-swords! Ri-riftan we-went ahead of th-them and s-swang hi-his s-sword at the bi-biggest gi-giant! Th-then the gi-giant¡­¡± Max looked up, trying to recall what the boy said had said earlier. Trying to intertwine some semnce of reality in her story. ¡°Th-the gi-giant¡¯s he-head was decapitated, and its to-torso cut in half a-and b-blood sprouted li-like a fo-fountain! Th-then it d-dropped to the g-ground.¡± ¡°Sir Calypse¡¯s sword had even split through the dragon¡¯s breath!¡± He nodded, convinced, ¡°Hmph! An ogre is only a piece of cake for him!¡± Max evoked exhration on the boys with her tale. Despite her bothersome stuttering, the boys showed no sign of annoyance and patiently waited, eyes sparkling, as she went on with the story. Their reactions that of pure astonishment served to fuel Max further, her tale increasingly bing animated as she started to mimic the giant. ¡°A-another gi-giant sa-saw what ha-happened a-and shouted s-so loud th-that m-my e-ears popped a-and it s-swang a huge ba-bat with a sw-swoosh! Ri-riftan ju-jumped up hi-high like a flying swallow¡­ and do-dodged like it wa-was ch-child¡¯s y.¡± She smiled, quite liking her description of him as a sprightly ¡®flying swallow.¡¯ ¡°T-the gi-giant was so du-dull that¡­ it co-couldn¡¯t keep up wi-with Ri-riftan¡¯s mo-movement and ke-kept mming t-the g-ground with its ba-bat! Boom! Bam! So s-strong th-that it fe-felt li-like the e-earth wa-was sh-shaking¡­!¡± She imitated the giant mming the ground with its weapon of destruction. The boys¡¯ shoulders also shook as if they were dying to know what happened next. Max, too, began to feel uncontrobly excited as it was the first time someone had been so engaged in her story. ¡°Th-then! Ri-riftan swang his s-sword. Th-there was a su-sudden f-sh and then I sa-saw th-the giant¡¯s bi-big arm cu-cut off li-like a sa-sausage! Th-then it d-dropped to th-the ground wi-with a loud th-thud and blood¡­.¡± She noticed that whenever something gory was mentioned, the twinkle in the boys¡¯ eyes became even more dazzling. She raised her arms and yelled. ¡°B-blood rained li-like a shower! Every ti-time the giant sho-shook its half cu-cut a-arm, ck b-blood poured do-down ev-everywhere like he-heavy r, rain¡­! I had to ba-bathe for half a-a day just to wa-wash out the blood o-on me.¡± Max, who was swinging her arm, trying to mimic the giant with a decapitated limb, suddenly froze. Chapter 67: Slowly Settling In (1) Chapter 67 ¨C Slowly Settling In (1) As she turned her stiff head, she saw Ruth squatting under a tree carefully scraping the moss between its roots. Soon after, he grabbed his sack and stood up. ¡°My clothes and armor are stained so ck, I wonder if I should change the name to Knights of Hume (ck) Dragon instead of Rem (White) Dragon,¡± he said with a sour face. ¡°Mr. Ruth!¡± Yurixion, visibly d to see him, ran towards him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I am making reagents at Lady Calypse¡¯s request, to revive the trees in the garden,¡± said he as he lifted up a sack. Fixing his gaze upon her, he continued. ¡°It seems you were recounting the fierce battle you went through during your journey.¡± Max literally flushed from head to toe. She had been caught bluffing, red-handed, and out of all the people, by the very one who saw her vomit and pass out. All she wished was to turn into dust and disappear.
However, the mood of her audience wasn¡¯t affected at the slightest. The boys shook with excitement, not noticing her embarrassment at all. ¡°Yes! She was telling us how Lord Calypse yed ten giant ogres in a blink of an eye.¡± ¡°Ten giant ogres you say¡­.¡± As each word drawled, Max¡¯s heart pounded tenfold with anxiety. She wondered if she should cut her losses and just get out of here on the pretext of having something urgent at hand. Her eyes darted eyes around like a prey looking to escape. Like Ruth didn¡¯t know what she was thinking! He cast her a sly smile and while soundingpletely natural, he said, ¡°You only got that far? There was also a battle in the mountains.¡± ¡°A battle in the mountains?!¡± Yurixion eximed. ¡°We were crossing the Anatorium Mountain when we ran into a pack of werewolves. How¡­ how many were there in total? Mrs. Calypse? My memory is a bit blurry offte¡­¡±
¡°I- I also don¡¯t¡­.¡± ¡°Understandable, I mean there were so many that it was tough to count. The whole mountain was covered with their dark fur, so it probably seemed like someone had put a carpet over the mountain.¡± ¡°There were that many werewolves on the Anatorium Mountain¡­?¡± Yurixion cried in astonishment. Max was sweating profusely, as she was unable to agree or deny what Ruth said. With a gentle smile, the wizard continued. ¡°How about you tell them the story of what happened that day in detail Mrs. Calypse?¡± The boys¡¯ gazes, suffused with anticipation, flew towards her. Max¡¯s face was red-hot, she didn¡¯t have nerves thick enough to make up a story in front of someone who was actually there when it all happened. Perhaps taking pity at her current state, Ruth extended her a helping hand. ¡°We can¡¯t just take up ourdy¡¯s time like that as she is very busy.¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I-I¡¯m a bi-bit busy..¡± She didn¡¯t even blink before grabbing on to the helping hand. However, did she think she¡¯d be let off so easily? Ruth stopped her again¡­ ¡°Oh,e to think of it, I have news for you, Madam. I was so focused on your story that I almost forgot to tell you. ¡°Ne-news¡­?¡± She carefully looked back at him, suspicious, wondering if this was another one of the wizard¡¯s pranks. But when she noticed him holding a small unfolded sheet of parchment for her to see, she rxed just a tad. ¡°This is a telegram that Lord Calypse sent to my tower through the pce¡¯s sorcery device. He said he is going to leave for Anatol as soon as the ceremony ends. It would take around fifteen days at most¡­. No, considering the knights¡¯ mobility, they should arrive in ten.¡± Upon the unexpected news, Max instantly forgot about her embarrassment and beamed. She skipped to him and promptly took a look at the parchment, saw the date of departure and a summary of the route. Ruth shook his head and let out a deep sigh as if he was helpless. ¡°Seems like he¡¯s really just going to swing by and then return.¡± ¡°Wha-what¡¯s wro-wrong with tha-that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it, but¡­ he might as well reim the king¡¯s graces while he¡¯s there, you know?¡± ¡°Sir Ruth, I am sure Sir Calypse is worried about our town¡¯s safety. A colossal amount of werewolves had appeared near ournd; how could he not be worried?¡± Yurixion passionately defended Riftan. As the conversation streamed in a direction she disliked, Max became noticeably nervous and hastily wrapped up the conversation. ¡°An-anyways¡­ tha-thanks for te-telling m-me. We-well I sho-should sta-start he-heading to th- the sm-smithy, I ha-have some bu-business the-there¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I know very well that you are a busydy, Madam.¡± Max walked away, leaving Ruth and his sarcastic tone behind. Her footsteps were so light that it surprised herself. She wanted to hum but held it back as she was aware of the boys following her. Chapter 68: Slowly Settling In (2) Chapter 68 ¨C Slowly Settling In (2) Havingpleted her rounds of the inner castle, Max returned to her room to sort out the items she had to order. Thus, the rest of the day was spent peacefully in thepany of papers and food. The next day, right at sunrise, she ran to the library with the papers, handing them over Ruth to make sure there were no problems. The wizard, who was lying on a worn-out carpet and sleeping using books as a nket, frowned at being disturbed. Even so, he quickly straightened himself and started checking the order sheet sansints. Reviewing the list from the top, he dipped a pen in ink and crossed out some spots. ¡°The butler has already prepared enough oil and candles. I¡¯m sure we have silverware and dishes stored in the warehouse. Also, where on earth are you going to use all these soaps and fragrance oils?¡± ¡°I tho-thought the kn-knights enjoyed ta-taking bath an-and sau-sauna so¡­.¡± ¡°What the¡­ Do you really think those men would use such luxurious soaps and fragrances? They would all frown if they even get near something with floral scent. It¡¯s enough to just order the amount you need.¡± Ruth relentlessly crossed out items from the list. Then, giving it a once over, he spoke as if he was doing her a favor.
¡°The rest seems about right.¡± ¡°S-so sho-should I¡­ ju-just order them no-now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just add in a few more items.¡± Max¡¯s eyes opened wide as it was the first time he had wanted to buy something. She curiously looked at what Ruth was writing down and saw a list of names. Max was taken aback as she thought he was nning on purchasing some ves. ¡°Wha-what ex-exactly are you wr-writing do-down?¡± ¡°Names of schrs. Please ask the servants to purchase writings under these names as it is.¡± Max looked at him nkly.
¡°A-are y-you trying t-to buy someth-thing you per-personally wa-want right no-now? Mo-moreover, it-it¡¯s an ex-expensive lu-luxury item li-like a boo-book ¡­.¡± ¡°Madam, knowledge is an iparable asset.¡± He spoke with absolute seriousness and solemnity. ¡°These writings are not for meeting my desires. They are what this library needs, what I¡¯m trying to say is that anyone cane in and read them freely.¡± Max¡¯s jaw dropped at his brazen words. This wizard absolutely hated it when anyone, other than himself, was in the library. He even hinted to her, thedy of the castle, that he was annoyed when she came to the library. Frankly speaking, upying the castle tower was not enough for Ruth, without authorization he had also taken over the library. ¡°I-I¡¯ve never seen¡­ an-anyone ex-except for y-you and me use the li-library be-before.¡± ¡°There will be more people using it from now on.¡± He talked big. Max squinted her eyes, doubting his words. The knights were busy training all day and rarely walked around except to dine at the Great Hall, so what more people. Max was very annoyed by Ruth, who was extremely picky and nosy with items that she nned to buy but was so thick-skinned when it came to things that he wanted. Max snatched the pen from Ruth and crossed out his list. Ruth flipped out and took away the parchment from her hands. ¡°I am the wizard of this castle! Improving my skills is not only beneficial for me but Anatol, too!¡± ¡°A-as ex-expected! Yo-you¡¯re ju-just trying to order th-them be-because y-you nee-need them! A-and these boo-books¡­. Th-they¡¯re not e-even wi-wizarding books!¡± ¡°Ho-how did you know?¡± ¡°Fo-for tw-twenty-two ye-years¡­ I ba-basically lived in a li-library like you. I-I can at le-least re- recognize phi-philosophers like Ge-gerad and Ka-kazaham!¡± Ruth¡¯s blue-grey orbs shook violently, he was agitated. There was clearly a mix of books that had nothing to do with magic. Max smiled knowingly. ¡°Ha-hand it ov-over. I he-heard the-there will b-be a ro-road co-construction ne-next year! W-we ca-can¡¯t manage t-to b- buy thi-this ma-many¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­ then are you fine with your child growing up as a fool who knows no better than how to swing a sword?!¡± He eximed urgently. Max, who was stretching her arms to take the paper away, turned red as if someone had poured boiling water on her head. It felt like steam wasing off the top of her head. ¡°Ch-ch-child¡­ Wha-wha-what are you¡­ wha-what are you say-saying!¡± To the extremely agitated Max, Ruth said nonchntly, ¡°What are you so embarrassed about? It is natural for couples to have children. Unless Lord Calypse goes on another expedition, in the next year or two, the castle will probably be filled with the cries of a child.¡± ¡°Ch-ch-child, child¡­.¡± She was burning up so much the whole area around her eyes was scorching hot. She wrapped her hands around her face and after much effort cooled off. Her heart started thumping when she¡¯d just thought of hugging her baby with ck hair. Ruth grabbed the squirmingdy¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to raise your child to be smart and intelligent?¡± ¡°Th-the ch-child is-isn¡¯t ev-even born yet¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote after he¡¯s born! A child feeds on wisdom to grow! We need to establish the environment in advance!¡± She didn¡¯t know what waste, but the wizard¡¯s momentum prevented her from making any counterargument. Ruth quickly wrote down a list of orders on the parchment while she was distracted. ¡°Okay, finished.¡± He handed her the parchment with a face full of satisfaction after he had filled out nearly five lines. Max took it with a sullen look. ¡°I-if we buy so many books and when Ri-riftan gets angry¡­.¡± ¡°Lord Calypse doesn¡¯t care about paltry pennies like this.¡± Max gazed at him dumbfounded. Even though she wasn¡¯t that worldly, she knew how expensive books were. If it weren¡¯t so expensive, why would her father keep certain books in the disy closet so nobody could touch them? ss couldn¡¯t evenpare. Not only did it take a lot of effort and time just to carefully write line by line on the expensive paper, but it also cost a lot to carefully sew it all together, not to mention covering it with leather and gilding it. On top of that, it was not easy to get books that weren¡¯t heroic epics about knights, such as poems or romantic novels filled with minstrel songs, as they were written by a small number of authors and even when you did somehow get it the seller could set any price. She protested with a loud voice. ¡°You¡¯re the one who said sa-save.¡± ¡°Madam, you know what is more precious than gold? Knowledge.¡± ?????? Thank you for being patient, here are 4 updates for everyone to binge! Weekly Releases: [??][??][??] [??][ ][ ] Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read ahead of schedule: Mother Earth ¨C 2 chapters for $2.99 Chapter 69 ¨C Her First Kind Companions (1) Chapter 70 ¨C Her First Kind Companions (2) Beautiful Venus ¨C 5 chapters for $4.99 Chapter 71 ¨C Strange Affinity to Magic (1) Chapter 72 ¨C Strange Affinity to Magic (2) Chapter 73 ¨C Familiar Fears (1) Blue Mercury ¨C 8 chapters for $9.99 Chapter 74 ¨C Familiar Fears (2) Chapter 75 ¨C The Lord¡¯s Return (1) Chapter 76 ¨C The Lord¡¯s Return (2) Intriguing Pluto ¨C 11 chapters for $15.99 Chapter 77 ¨C Riftan¡¯s Anger Chapter 78 ¨C One Head for Every Scratch (1) Chapter 79 ¨C One Head for Every Scratch (2) 19 zing Sun ¨C 15 chapters for $25.99 Chapter 80 ¨C I Want All of Him (1) 19 Chapter 81 ¨C I Want All of Him (2) 19 Chapter 82 ¨C A Bold Kiss (1) Chapter 83 ¨C A Bold Kiss (2) Glowing Sirius ¨C 20 chapters for $45.99 Chapter 84 ¨C A Constant me (1) Chapter 85 ¨C A Constant me (2) Chapter 86 ¨C Trying Her Best (1) Chapter 87 ¨C Trying Her Best (2) Chapter 88 ¨C Concerns (1) The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99 Chapter 89 ¨C Concerns (2) Chapter 90 ¨C Lessons on Defensive Sorcery (1) Chapter 91 ¨C Lessons on Defensive Sorcery (2) Chapter 92 ¨C Unexpected Request (1) Chapter 93 ¨C Unexpected Request (2) Chapter 94 ¨C A Veiled Past (1) Chapter 95 ¨C A Veiled Past (2) Chapter 96 ¨C Your Likes and Dislikes (1) Chapter 97 ¨C Your Likes and Dislikes (2) 19 Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 69: Her First Kind Companions (1) Chapter 69 ¨C Her First Kind Companions (1) ¡°Madam, knowledge is more precious than gold.¡± Ruth announced shamelessly. The wizard then flopped down to take a seat. The recoil that came due to his sudden movement caused the books that he had earlier piled up to tremble and copse onto the ground. The knowledge that he said was more precious than gold was now haphazardly lying down under his feet. Max, who had been watching the exchange had her mouth slightly open, wondering if she should slip in a remark, but instead she ended up sighing heavily. She couldn¡¯t take an upromising attitude, she wanted to help because she too was receiving a lot of help from him. ¡°I-I¡¯ll, ask them to try and acquire them¡­.¡± Max said as she prepared to leave the room. ¡°I would appreciate it.¡± The wizard responded coyly to her remark and opened another book he had just reached out for. She shook her head dismissively at the wizard¡¯s gratitude and left the library silently as not to disturb his work.
As she made her way away from the library, she noticed that the hallways were well lit, white from the bright light which poured in from the newly reced windows. The windows had allowed more sunlight to enter the walls of the castle. The weather has been unusually clear for the past few days, Max thought this as she looked out and gazed up at the cloudless blue sky from the windows. She basked in its warmth and sprightly walked down the stairs. At the end of the steps, a sturdy, vintage patterned rail was uniformly linked, and a soft carpet greeted her soles. When she was first asked to decorate the castle, she felt overwhelmed, but now there was an inexplicable sense of aplishment at the castle which she saw slowly changing before her eyes. She happily skipped to the banquet hall to give her list of orders to Rodrigo. When she arrived, she saw him carefully supervising his work which was nearpletion. She approached him carefully. ¡°R-Rodrigo¡­ are you busy? ¡°Ah, Madam, you¡¯re here.¡± Rodrigo looked back at her, his wrinkled face was painted with a bright smile. With a smile of her own in reply, Max handed him the parchment filled with orders.
¡°I-I went around the inner facilities¡­ and checked if there is anything we need. C-Could you order what I wrote down? P-Please?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Rodrigo replied. ¡°A-Also¡­tell them to get the books that I wrote down on the bottom.¡± Max added. ¡°Yes madam, I will.¡± The butler neatly folded the parchment and put it in his breast pocket. She turned back with a smile, feeling giddy that she had justpleted one of her tasks. She was about to open the door and go out again, when Rodrigo called her in a hurry.
¡°Madam, the apprentices, Yurixion and Garow, went out to the valley early in the morning today and caught four ¡°Oakleys¡±. It¡¯s currently getting prepared in the kitchen right now, if you haven¡¯t eaten yet¡­¡± ¡°O-Oakley¡­?¡± Rodrigo looked at her confused face in surprise. ¡°Have you never tried it? It is a clear water fish that lives in the valley. It¡¯s very juicy and soft. There¡¯s nothing in the world that¡¯s as appetizing as a freshly caught Oakley cooked over a charcoal fire.¡± Max gulped. The food in Calypse Castle was very tasty, but it tended to be quite meat-oriented. Their affinity for meat was quite extreme that she hadn¡¯t eaten fish ever since she came here even though the area was adjacent to the sea. She had been craving for fish so much that her stomach suddenly rumbled at the mention of it. ¡°B-But the apprentices are the one who caught it so I can¡¯t¡­¡± Max began to protest but she wasn¡¯t able toplete her sentence for Rodrigo cut her off. ¡°They said that they brought it for you madam. They will be d if you would go and dine with them.¡± Max, who was surprised to hear that the fish had been caught for her, flushed at the thought of their consideration and could only nod in reply. She didn¡¯t understand why they did that and she frankly didn¡¯t care to find out their motivation for doing so, she just wanted to eat some fish. So Max hurried out of the banquet hall and headed for the kitchens excitedly, the thought of freshly caught fish made her giddy. As soon as she arrived near the kitchen, she heard people busily talking to each other and so she peeked inside to see what was going on. Max spotted the two boys hanging four huge fish, about the length of an adult man¡¯s arm, above the drain and cutting it up. The chef next to them was sweating heavily at a loss of what to do with the two apprentices who had begun to tend to the fish. ¡°S-Sir, I-I¡¯ll do it. Please, I¡¯ll do it. Please let me do it!¡± the chef eximed in an embarrassed tone. ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s also a kind of like our training to get a sense of what cutting something living feels like.¡± Yurixion naively said to the chef, who was on the edge of breaking out in tears. Next to him, Garow, who was collecting blood by cing a bucket under the cut tail of one of the fish, stood up and said, ¡°This fish has lost all its blood too.¡± ¡°Give it to me. I¡¯ll dismantle this one too,¡± Yurixion eagerly motioned for the next fish. ¡°I, I can¡¯t let your honors do, do this kind of¡­!¡± the chef eximed in protest but Yurixion gave him a pointed look. This effectively silenced him. ¡°You¡¯re too noisy. Didn¡¯t we say this is also a kind of training?¡± Garow told the chef in a tone of finality and this made thetter step back. Yurixion nodded in agreement and added, ¡°Yes, yes, we can¡¯t leave the fish to be offered to thedy in the hands of servants.¡± ¡°But why fish? Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to hunt foxes or deers as a gift?¡± Garrow suddenly asked Yurixion. ¡°Garow! You can¡¯t harm such a beautiful creature!¡± Yurixion replied. Garow shook his head, dumbfounded with what Yurixion had said. ¡°Ah! So, this fish ended up like this because it wasn¡¯t beautiful?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only that it is not beautiful but it¡¯s also tasty, that¡¯s why it ended up like this.¡± Yurixion only responded cheerfully. Chapter 70: Her First Kind Companions (2) Chapter 70 ¨C Her First Kind Companions (2) Max was awkwardly standing at the entrance wondering if she should enter or not. She didn¡¯t expect to witness the dismantling of the fish. The half-cut fish¡¯s body appalled her, so she slowly turned around to leave. However before she could take a step to turn away, her eyes met with Garow¡¯s, who had been turning his stiff neck around to stretch it. She stood rooted in ce. The boy waved his hand with a cheerful smile. ¡°Good morning, Madam Calypse.¡± Garow called out to her. ¡°Oh, hello Madam!¡± Yurixion waved both hands towards her too like a dog wagging its tail. She couldn¡¯t just act like she didn¡¯t see both of them, so Max timidly waved back. ¡°G-Good morning,¡± she greeted them. ¡°You¡¯re just in time! I caught these guys as thanks for you telling us that fun story yesterday. They are the most delicious fish in the Whedon!¡± Yurixion excitedly told her gesturing at the fish the were busily slicing up. ¡°Please wait for a minute, Madam. I¡¯ll quickly prepare it and get it on the table.¡± said Garow, after cutting off the head of the fish.
Max nkly stared at the fish head that rolled onto the floor. She could see a tongue sticking out of it, the sight made her lose her appetite. ¡°While we prepare the Oakley, would you mind telling us the story about the werewolves?¡± Yurixion looked at her expectantly as he busily tended to the fish. Garow who was beside him seemed to have read the difort painted on her face and quickly turned to berate Yurixion. ¡°Madam might be feeling difort from all the blood, let¡¯s not keep her here.¡± Yurixion gave Garow a look of disbelief, ¡°What are you talking about?! Madam Calypse is a courageous woman who even witnessed the heavily raining blood of Ogres! She¡¯s the wife of the world¡¯s bravest knight Sir Calypse!¡± The boys then looked at her as if expecting to hear her agreement. Max barely managed to squeeze out a smile in response when another fish¡¯s head was cut off and rolled onto the floor again, marring the floors with its blood. She consciously tried to not look at it and replied,¡°O-Of course. T-this is nothing to me.¡± ¡°See? Hey, someone bring a chair for the Madam!¡± Yurixion eximed in pleasure and gestured for one of the kitchen servants to bring in a chair for Max to sit on.
There was no way out now, Max grimly thought. She bleakly looked at the chair that the kitchen servant had brought her. It seemed like she needed to immediatelye up with a story about the werewolves while the boys trimmed the fish. She sat on the edge of the chair feeling like she was about to cry. In the middle of her internal distress, Yurixion had managed to grab and peel the thick and chewy looking skin of the Oakley, removed the fins on its back and stomach, and throw the softly sliced white fillet on the te. The fish¡¯s skeleton was quickly exposed and was set aside to dispose ofter. He paused in his cutting to proudly share to the group what he knew of werewolves. ¡°I¡¯ve also seen a werewolf once. Its head is a vicious wolf and the body is simr to that of a human. And it swiftly jumps around from tree to tree with its two feet! Yurixion grinned in satisfaction when he saw hispanions¡¯ attention on him, ¡°It also has long mrs sticking out the mouth like a wild boar. I heard they stuff their head and hang it on the wall of their room in Valto.¡±
¡°Why would they hang such a vicious thing on their walls? I just can¡¯t understand the northerners¡¯ aesthetic preferences.¡± Garow told them. ¡°Wolves are a symbol of bravery to them.¡± Yurixion simply replied. Max eyed the pinkish flesh of fish fillets stacked on the te that had now begun to look like a small tower. Her feelings of disgust at the sight seemed to steadily fade as the fish¡¯ forms slowly disappeared. Max shook her head to dismiss the thoughts of the fish and secretly took a deep breath to regain herposure, herpanions were expecting a story from her, this is why they wanted her to dine with them. They used that fish as bait. Just as she let out a sigh she noticed that Yurixion was looking back at her and was wiping the water off his hands with a white cloth. ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny that they¡¯re showing off how brave they are by catching and stuffing a puny werewolf? Remdragon Knights can get rid of dozens of werewolves in a blink of an eye!¡± Yurixiom boasted and Garow who was beside himughed heartily too. ¡°I¡¯m also very curious how Lord Calypse fought them.¡± Garow chimed in as he waved the cutting knife he was using to cut the fish in the hair in an attempt to mimic how Lord Calypse must have fought with werewolves. Max let out a shaky smile at the two. She had no way around it because she knew they would never be satisfied until she fed their curiosity. So, Max started to squeeze out a story with little tears in her eyes. The kids joyfully listened to her, their cheeks flushed with excitement. Max concocted a tale where Riftan cut off the heads of three werewolves in a blink of an eye and where the monsters¡¯ heads poured down like ck hail as he advanced towards them. Max tried her best to sound enthusiastic and made sure the boys were entertained. It seemed that they were because they were enthusiastically listening to her. Max soon slowly forgot about the difort of seeing the dismembering of the fish because of the boys¡¯ reactions towards her story. Never in her life did she imagine a day where she would joyfully talk in front of so many people. And they seemed to really like her story telling. ¡°Sir, the sauce is ready.¡± The group¡¯s discussion was cut due to the Chef informing them of his progress in the kitchen. ¡°Hurry up and cook it then. I¡¯m dying to eat!¡± Yurixion responded back. When that was down his attention was once again casted on Max¡¯ story. As the story was nearing its end, the head chef dumped the trimmed fish meat in a bowl and started to mix it with a dark sauce. On one side, he was heating an oil-coated pan and on the other side, he was making a sd with thinly sliced onions and herbs. Just like that, Max¡¯s feelings of disgust disappeared, as if they had never existed in the first ce and turned into hunger. Just as she wrapped up her story the Chef once again informed them of the state of their uing meal. ¡°It tastes incredible when it¡¯s grilled and served with sd. Please wait for a moment.¡± The head chef spoke confidently and started to grill the seasoned Oakley on the heated pan. A delicious smell started to spread in the air as the fish cooked with sizzling soundsing from it. They moved to sitfortably on a table carefully prepared for them by the servants and they sat across each other on the small table. They sat at the other side of the kitchen, and despite this distance they could still hear the head chef arguing with one of the kitchen staff that instead of eating from a silver te, having it straight out of the grill tasted the best for the dish. Soon after hearing the slight argument fresh sd and a delicious looking Oakely dish was served before them. The two apprentices excitedly gave her a big chuck of grilled fish and its smell delighted Max. Max reached out for her silver knife and fork and began to slice a small piece of the steaming hot fish and tried it. As soon as she popped the fish into her mouth she could not help but let out an excited gasp. The soft meat, full of sweet sauce, melted in her mouth. Max¡¯s eyes widened in amazement at its vor. ¡°It¡¯s de-delicious!¡± She eximed and the two boys looked at her proudly. ¡°Right? Nothing canpare to Fall season Oakley!¡± Yurixion said as he too begun cutting his fish and ate their meal happily. It was delicious, Max couldn¡¯t help but exim these words in her head each time she took a bite. The soft, tender meat didn¡¯t taste much like a fish at all, instead it released sweet juices every time she chewed on it. [2] She had no trouble finishing tworge pieces of fish on her te. It seemed she finished them so quickly, the fish disappeared in a heartbeat. Meanwhile, the two boys seemed to have been quicker than her for they had already emptied three servings of fish. She took another slice and ate it with the crunchy sd. ¡°I-It¡¯s really d-delicious.¡± She told them gratefully, the meal was exceptional. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re satisfied.¡± Yurixion, who had emptied his tes already and had left them clean, grinned at her after he told her his reply. Then with a proud smile, he said, ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll catch another delicious one for you.¡± Max got caught up by his friendly grin andughed along. The goodwill of the two boys made her feel ted and she was honestly touched by their gift. ¡°I-I¡¯ll look forward to it, then.¡± She told them as she took another bite. Max will not forget the taste of Grilled Oakley ¨C that was for sure.
Weekly Releases: [??][??][ ][ ] Then again, if you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read ahead of schedule: Mother Earth ¨C 2 chapters for $2.99 Chapter 71 ¨C Strange Affinity to Magic (1) Chapter 72 ¨C Strange Affinity to Magic (2) Beautiful Venus ¨C 5 chapters for $4.99 Chapter 73 ¨C Familiar Fears (1) Chapter 74 ¨C Familiar Fears (2) Chapter 75 ¨C The Lord¡¯s Return (1) Blue Mercury ¨C 8 chapters for $9.99 Chapter 76 ¨C The Lord¡¯s Return (2) Chapter 77 ¨C Riftan¡¯s Anger Chapter 78 ¨C One Head for Every Scratch (1) Intriguing Pluto ¨C 11 chapters for $15.99 Chapter 79 ¨C One Head for Every Scratch (2) | 19 Chapter 80 ¨C I Want All of Him (1) | 19 Chapter 81 ¨C I Want All of Him (2) | 19 zing Sun ¨C 15 chapters for $25.99 Chapter 82 ¨C A Bold Kiss (1) Chapter 83 ¨C A Bold Kiss (2) Chapter 84 ¨C A Constant me (1) Chapter 85 ¨C A Constant me (2) Glowing Sirius ¨C 20 chapters for $45.99 Chapter 86 ¨C Trying Her Best (1) Chapter 87 ¨C Trying Her Best (2) Chapter 88 ¨C Concerns (1) Chapter 89 ¨C Concerns (2) Chapter 90 ¨C Lessons on Defensive Sorcery (1) The Silver Moon ¨C unlimited chapters for $90.99 Chapter 91 ¨C Lessons on Defensive Sorcery (2) Chapter 92 ¨C Unexpected Request (1) Chapter 93 ¨C Unexpected Request (2) Chapter 94 ¨C A Veiled Past (1) Chapter 95 ¨C A Veiled Past (2) Chapter 96 ¨C Your Likes and Dislikes (1) Chapter 97 ¨C Your Likes and Dislikes (2) | 19 Chapter 98 ¨C Surprising Sides of Him (1) Chapter 99 ¨C Surprising Sides of Him (2)
Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 71: Strange Affinity to Magic (1) Chapter 71 ¨C Strange Affinity to Magic (1) Days went by and the construction had finallye to an end. Max and her row of servants took a tour around the great hall, transformed into an unrecognizably beautiful room. A gold-ted chandelier hung from the ceiling, shimmering with a subtle but impressive glow. It lit up the former room basked in a perpetual darkness, and underneath it was a carpet embroidered in red and gold threads. A long, soft drape was spread over the staircase, which led to therge, fancy banquet hall. Max admired the hall in all directions. The cold stone floor was reced with smooth marble tiles, and three gorgeous, silver chandeliers decorated the arched ceiling of the room. On one wall hung a carpet embroidered with Uigru soaring to the sky on the back of a dragon, and wine-colored curtains covered the windows. On the podium were chairs dressed in silk and fur and a unicorn statue made from marble stood on the terrace outside the window. ¡°How do you like it, ma¡¯am?¡± Aderon carefully asked to make sure thedy of the Calypse castle was pleased. Max slowly moved her head up and down as she touched the clear, shiny ss window. The warm ray of sunlight poured through the ss and brightened up the area. ¡°I-it¡¯s amazing.¡± Satisfaction spread on Aderon¡¯s face and Max smiled along with his genuinely happy grin. Although he might be a tout at times, he was not a trickster, that was for sure. He offered high-quality materials and at an adequate price ¡ª as well as faithful, hard workers. To show her appreciation, Max invited Aderon for a feast at the castle. With his stomach full of expensive wine and the chef¡¯s special dish, roasted deer meat, Aderon left the castle for the final time as a satisfied man.
¡°Oh, wow. I can¡¯t recognize this ce at all. Sir Calypse sure will be surprised when he returns.¡± Standing by the front door, watching the merchant¡¯s couch disappear in the distance, Max turned her head at the voice. It was Ruth, scratching his messy gray hair,ing down the stairs. Max asked with a hint of uncertainty. ¡°Wi-will he like it?¡± ¡°Well, he did ask for a renovation, so there¡¯s no doubt he will be happy at the sight.¡± His apathetic response did not help Max feel confident at all. She red at the sloppy man,zily yawning, and replied with frustration. ¡°Do-does it hu-hurt if you give a copliment?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s beautiful. It¡¯s so spick and span I can¡¯t seem to open my eyes. My mind ispletely blown away by the glittering spectacle,¡± he soullessly recited as he stretched his back.
Max once again stared at him with disdain, but Ruth ignored her walked towards the door. As he was about to leave, he remembered something and stopped to turn and looked at Max and her entourage of servants. ¡°Hmm¡­ is this the right time?¡± he mumbled to himself and pulled out a small bottle, swirling with unknown liqud from his inner chest pocket. ¡°The¡­ potion to bring the tree back to life is ready. Do you want to test it now?¡± ¡°A-already?¡± Her eyes widened discreetly, aware of the eyes around them. ¡°I sacrificed my sleep to get this ready,¡± Ruth said although it was obvious he just woke up from a good long nap. Having seen him sleeping on the library floor a couple times, Max wanted to give a snarky reply, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t resist nodding. It was true that he had gone through extra lengths to help her with the ledger and make the potion¡­
He turned his steps and walked out to the garden and stood by the lifeless oak tree next to the gazebo. Max stood by him as she watched him uncork the bottle and pour the mysterious liquid over the roots of the tree. ¡°Oh, the mighty spirit of nature. Take this poor one into your arms and grant your breath of life!¡± he chanted. Max rolled her eyes at his loud voice. She herself was frequently treated with spells after being hit by her father often at a young age and was familiar enough with the procedures to know witchcraft can be used with simplemands. She was sure his borate monologue was for showing off. Just as she was wondering why Ruth was exaggerating, Max glimpsed at the servants behind her, full of awe, and realized his intention. It was to show them he was doing his best to bring the tree back to life. Ruth opened his arms and looked up to the sky as if receiving vigor from the gods above, then brought his hands together by his heart and solemnly closed his eyes. Max bit her lips to swallow herughter but soon was wide-eyed when she saw faint waves of lighting out from the outer line of his body. The light began to umte around him, and Max eximed with astonishment. Besides being the subject of witchcraft, she had never witnessed a spell in action upfront. The soft light oozing from his hands spun around his body once and slowly surrounded the tree and the ugly, dead oak gently took in the light, as if it were drinking it. Chapter 72: Strange Affinity to Magic (2) Chapter 72 ¨C Strange Affinity to Magic (2) Watching this charming spectacle, Max stealthily poked the light, shining with a warm glow. Then, the glob of light soaked into her hands like honey. Startled, Max pulled her hands away and Ruth bulged his eyes at the sight. ¡°How odd,¡± he said, lowering his hands by his side. After all the light had seeped into the tree, Ruth stroked the rough branches as if to check something and turned to face Max. ¡°Madam, it seems you have an affinity, although only a little, to mana.¡± ¡°A-affinity to m-mana?¡± ¡°It is the most basic talent required to practice magic.¡± Max stared in wonder. She had what it takes to be a witch? Lost in deep thought, she stared down at her own hands when Ruth shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s only the most basic skill. It¡¯s just like having a bit of agility which can help you be a swordsman. You can¡¯t be a witch or a wizard for only having that.¡±
¡°Ah¡­ I-I see¡­¡± Max drooped her shoulders at his words, unexpectedly dampened by his words waking her up to reality. Of course, there was no way she had any special skills. Ruth smiled gently at her disappointed face. ¡°Still, it¡¯s a very valuable skill. There are many surprising sides to you.¡± She cocked her head at him quizzically, ¡°Su-surprising si-sides?¡± ¡°You can be surprisingly full of rage, you can bluff, you don¡¯t want to lose, and you have an affinity to mana¡­¡± Her face flushed at the unexpected descriptions. It didn¡¯t feel like it was her at ll. Yet, the man continued his impression of her, despite the embarrassment that was present on her face. ¡°The first time I saw you, I thought you were a quiet and weakdy. But the more time we spend time together, the further I get to learn about the timid madam ¨C full of something new and interesting every time.¡± Seeing his straight face uttering herpliments, Maxx could only reply, ¡°I-it doesn¡¯t sound l-like a cpliment.¡±
¡°But it is apliment,¡± Ruth said with a cheeky face. But the man was ever as sardonic. Evenpliments were given with a shrug and an impassive tone. Max pouted her lips and lightly kicked the dark roots of the tree sticking out of the soil. ¡°Anyways¡­ so i-is it a-alive?¡± she tried changing the subject, feeling conscious of herself. ¡°There¡¯s no way of knowing.¡± ¡°W-what do you m-mean?¡±
What could he ever mean there was no way of knowing just after he casted the long and fancy mantra of a spell? When she looked at him through narrowed eyes, he nonchntly shrugged. ¡°What I have done is inject nature¡¯s mana into the tree. We can see the results when spring arrives. If green leaves sprout, then it has recovered, but if not, then it¡¯s probably dead. I guess you can pluck it out then if it¡¯s thetter.¡± She looked up to the bare, dense branches and nodded. Gardenndscaping was scheduled in spring anyways. Her eyes then nced around the garden, picturing the intricate n she had already made with the gardener beforehand. Max made up her mind to remove the tree if it didn¡¯t sprout young leaves in spring and rece it with colorful flowers and young saplings. ?? Completing its renovation, the Calypse castle was now getting ready for winter. The servants ced thick boards around the well to prevent the water from freezing, repaired the horse shed, and restocked the storage with ample amount of forage and firewood. Everyone was working hard to do their share for the uing freezing months. The maids were busy as well. They crouched in theundry room and washed clothes with their red and swollen fingers, diligently swept the floor, and spurned threads of fabric to practical clothes in the weaving room. They had no time to spare as they had to get the winter clothes ready for the guards before the weather got too chilly. Rudis, losing his patience at the amount of tasks being delegated, carefully suggested to Max. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m afraid we simplyck the workforce and time to prepare everything for winter. How about we buy the fabric from a merchant?¡± Max willingly epted the idea as she had also seen enough of her maids overworking. ¡°H-how many do w-we need?¡± ¡°We have prepared half of what we need. If we can order the other half¡­¡± Max scanned a pile of fabric folded neatly in the corner of the weaving room. She could already hear the nosy wizard lecturing her for cing a careless order. Her fingers carefully brushed across the parchment as she wrote the amount they needed and closely examined the amount of fabric prepared by the maids. ¡°I-is this e-enough?¡± ¡°Yes, that will be perfect, Madam.¡± Rudis nodded, then continued to list everything else that needed attention. ¡°We also need some leather straps and thread to hold the clothes in shape. Oh, and more needles for¡­¡± ¡°Madam, I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but we need you immediately. There has been an incident.¡±
Apologies for the long wait. In ordance with COVID-19, I had been running around getting documents so I would be able to move ces and I consumed most of my time for this errand.. However all is well now (minus the terrible inte connection) and will be back to posting chapters. Thank you readers! Chapter 73: Familiar Fears (1) Chapter 73 ¨C Familiar Fears (1) Max, whose head was buried in her piece of parchment paper, writing down the list of materials from Rudis, popped her head up and looked at the door. There stood Rodrigo, looking very worried and urgent. ¡°W-whats w-wrong?¡± ¡°A man iming to be Rob Midahas, lord of southern Libadon, has marched to the vige entrance with thirty other knights. But he doesn¡¯t have anything to prove his identity, which has caused a problem.¡± ¡°R-Rob¡­ Midahas?¡± Max frowned at the unfamiliar name. Libadon was part of the allied countries of the west and happened to be the country that Anatol exchanged most frequently out of others. However, that didn¡¯t mean she knew all the names to the lords in Libadon. Furthermore, there was no way Maximillian, who had been isted from the noble since a young age, was able to identify a person only from a name. ¡°W-what is the l-lord of Li-Libadon do-doing in A-anatol?¡± ¡°He says he has made the long journey for a friendly meet up.¡± ¡°B-but w-we can¡¯t just l-let them i-in¡­¡±
¡°We cannot allow an armed group of men to enter our territory without a clear identity,¡± Rodrigo agreed with her sentiments in a determined tone, which was rare for his gentle personality. ¡°While it¡¯s frequent for outside merchants and soldiers to request an entrance since many malignant spirits reside near Anatol, some sort of identification to prove their status needs to be presented, no matter what. This is to prevent any thieves or forces from plundering the vige during Lord Calypse¡¯s absence.¡± All the blood drained from Max¡¯s face. She could feel the maids behind her hold their breath amidst the nervous silence. Her head went nk at the situation that was entirely new to her, but Max soon regained herposure and spoke. ¡°W-who would d-dare to l-loot and g-guarded by t-the R-remdragon Knights?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be sure.¡± Max turned her head at the sound at the new voice. It was Ruth, who ran inside the room all from the other end of the corridor after hearing the news. ¡°Everyone knows the Remdragon Knights are attending the King¡¯s banquet. I¡¯m suspicious about how they im to havee to socialize while the lord is absent.¡±
Max turned pale. ¡°R-Ruth, d-do you also t-think they have ce to i-invade Anatol?¡± ¡°There is a possibility. Lord Calyspe is the main knight to have sessfully suppressed the sect. In recognition of his contribution, he was handed the majority of the treasures of Dragon Lear. It¡¯s not entirely odd for someone to covet this treasure and decide to attack the Remdragons.¡± ¡°T-then d-do we f-f-fight?¡± ¡°If they act tough, it is appropriate for us to forcefully eradicate them. But as Rodrigo said, there are thirty knights¡­¡± he said and frowned with annoyance. ¡°If this man, Rob, really has thirty knights behind his back, it¡¯s going to be a difficult battle. A low-ss knight can easily take over ten guards. And if there is a high-ss knight, then it¡¯s needless to say.¡±
Hearing Ruth assumes a full-on battle, Max swallowed hard, anxious. ¡°And if this man really is what he says he is, then it¡¯s a bigger problem. They might hold the fact that we forcefully turned them away against us and politically retaliate. Although we are part of the seven allied countries of the west, conflict between lords have always been present. ¡°T-then what d-do we d-do?¡± ¡°What do you think we should do, ma¡¯am?¡± Ruth asked back. Max flinched and hunched her back. Now with no Riftan around to guide her, Max, the Lady of the territory, had the responsibility to keep her vige safe. ¡°I, I¡­¡± Max stuttered and ttered her teeth. She frantically bit her lip and tried to keep herself calm. ¡°I-I¡¯ll g-go to the g-g-gate and t-talk. I-I need to k-know w-what k-kind of p-people they a-are.¡± ¡°Fair point. You have to look at them to know who they are,¡± Ruth willingly agreed with Max. ¡°Allow me to prepare you, ma¡¯am. You should be guarded in the case of sudden physical conflict. Rodrigo, let Sir Ovaron and Sir Sebrick know, immediately.¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡± said Rodrigo as he ran out of the room. ¡°And ma¡¯am, follow me if you will,¡± Ruth said as he quickly spun his body around. Max handed the paper she was holding to a maid and walked after him. When they arrived at the garden, old man Kunel was leading two horses across the field. Ruth instantly took them by the reins. ¡°Do you know how to ride a horse?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± To be honest, it was her first time riding arge horse like this, but she nodded, nheless. Max stepped in front of the slim mare and Kunel let out his hand to help her on the horse. When she got on the saddle, she tightly gripped the reins and squeezed her thighs to find her bnce. After examining Max and seeing she did actually know how to ride a horse, Ruth hopped on to his. ¡°The soldiers will be lined up in the gymnasium. Follow me.¡± And with that, he raced across the garden in a breeze. When Max followed him through a gate, she saw about thirty soldiers standing in an array. An old knight with white hair, who seemed to be the leader of the group, raised his voice at the sight of Ruth. ¡°So, there¡¯s a guy in the front gate demanding to be granted entrance, huh?¡± he said while riding a horse and lightly tapping on his sword at the promise of bloodthirst. ¡°Well, the poor guy should be ready to taste some blood.¡± Chapter 74: Familiar Fears (2) Chapter 74 ¨C Familiar Fears (2) Ruth then rified, ¡°Your job, sir, is not to go to battle, but to protect the Lady.¡± ¡°What?¡± the old knight said and whipped his head around to see Max. She straightened her back and spurred the horse towards him. ¡°N-nice to m-meet you.¡± The old man scratched his cheek with his fingers at her careful greeting and replied. ¡°There is nothing to worry about, ma¡¯am, as long as I, Ovaron, have your back.¡± He then led the army of men through the gate with confidence. Ruth went with them and sent a nod to Max. She also tagged along and crossed the drawbridge, her heartbeat racing with the tter of hoofs hitting against the stone floor. As she continued to walk along the path she once took with Riftan on a different asion, she became more and more uneasy. She pressed her lips together, anxious not to bite her tongue, and went down a steep hill and through the busy vige.
She was frightened to death as she had never ridden a horse at such a fast speed. It was some time since Max maintained her tight grip on the rein and chased the soldiers in front of her when she finally saw the rampart. A young guard by the entrance hurried his steps towards the men on horses as soon as he saw them. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± Reaching the gate, Ruth and the old knight jumped off their horses, and minutester when she finally caught up with the crowd, Max got off as well with some assistance. ¡°Where is this so-called lord from Libadon?¡± ¡°He is just outside the gate. If you follow me here¡­¡± ¡°Madam, this way.¡± Max moved her stiff legs and followed them up the stairs to the top of the rampart. There, she saw thirty-one men on horses on the other side of the wall. They all had fearsome, tanned faces and a long sword on each of their waists. Ruth leaned over and spoke to them, his voice loud and resonant.
¡°Who is the Lord from Libadon?¡± ¡°It is I, Rob Midahas,¡± said a man on a ginger horse. Max carefully examined him. He was a man in his mid-thirties, sturdy and strong, with light titian hair. The man looked up to the top of the wall in turn, squinting his eyes to get a better view of the young man asking for him. ¡°Are you the lord of Anatol?¡± ¡°I am merely an employee here at Anatol. The Lady here is my lord¡¯s deputy,¡± Ruth said as he pointed at Max standing next to him. Feeling the man¡¯s ncend on her, Max unconsciously drew back. At the sight of this, the man smiled with a sneer. ¡°Very nice to meet you. As you¡¯ve heard, my name is Midahas, the ruler of Kaisa, located on the west of Libadon. I have heard impressive words about the dragon yer in my hometown and have made a long journey to meet him, so I request you to open your gates and allow me with warmth.¡±
Max took a glimpse at Ruth. His arms were crossed, observing the situation. He didn¡¯t look like he was about to help her. She then cleared her throat and opened her heavy lips and raised her voice. ¡°I-I heard y-you do not p-possess any s-sort of i-i-identification. I-it is our g-guideline to n-not a-allow, anyone u-unidentified.¡± ¡°I lost my identification te during my journey. If you allow me in, I will immediately bring myself to the parish of Anatol and prove my identity.¡± ¡°A-Anatol d-d-does not allow u-unidentified i-individuals through t-the g-gates. T-this is an o-order by t-the lord, t-thus c-cannot be d-disobeyed. P-please go to a p-parish in a d-different t-t-territory to get y-your i-identification te and v-visit us a-again.¡± At her stuttering, yet determined speech, the man grimaced and replied in an irritated tone. ¡°I can¡¯t understand a word you¡¯re saying. Is there anyone else I can talk to that knows how to speak?¡± With the insult thrown straight at her face, Max turned pale as a sheet. ¡°She is the Lady of the Anatol. I advise you to treat her with respect,¡± Ruth interrupted to defend her. ¡°I¡¯m just saying I can¡¯t understand her!¡± Max hid her embarrassment and cried back. ¡°I-I m-made myself c-clear that I-I cannot o-open the gates. Come b-back with an i-identity p-te!¡± ¡°We have travelled over and through the den of demons. Are you insisting on my exhausted men to return back to the dangerous road?¡± The man was now speaking in a threatening tone. Max shrunk at his coercive attitude and could only say nothing through her shaky lips. Sensing his victory, the man shouted louder towards the top of the wall. ¡°Does the Lady of Anatol not have any mercy!¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± ¡°If you say so, the next time I return, you will face hundreds of knights from Libadon! I cannot ept this kind of rudeness!¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t h-have any i-identity¡­ I-I don¡¯t h-have a c-choice¡­¡± ¡°I told you I can give it to you once I get to your parish!¡± His voice became more louder and more intimidating with every word. At his triumphant behaviour she was unable to refute, Max feltpletely defeated. She was engulfed in fear ¨C one that was so familiar and that reminded her of her past horrors, as sweat started to trickle down her forehead. Chapter 75: The Lord's Return (1) Chapter 75 ¨C The Lord¡¯s Return (1) Faced with a paralyzing fear, her body unconsciously froze. And soon, Max broke out into faint shudders. His mocking re was a haunting, familiar sight for her ¨C enough to crumble her defenses and render her mind nk. Seeing their mistress shell-shocked, at a loss of what to do, something impatient and fuming surged inside Ruth for the man below them. Simply put, he wasn¡¯t able to stand it anymore and came up to support her. ¡°Stop crossing the line! Why the hell are you ming her when you¡¯re the one who lost your own identification card? How can we trust thirty armed men toe in and not cause any problems?! Are you daft?!¡± Yet his outburst was only taken with a pinch of salt, ¡°Pff!¡± Rob Midahas nced around his men in jest, ¡°So you¡¯re locking the gates because Anatol¡¯s security isn¡¯t strong enough to deal with thirty men? I guess this ce is full of cowards without their lord!¡± he then spat viciously. ¡°What did you say?!¡± All this time, the knight, Ovaron had been trying to contain his temper behind the nks when he heard this ridicule. He immediately moved forward, his des almost singing for bloodlust in their sheath after the brazen words from the incorrigible man. ¡°Ruth! Open the gates immediately!¡± He gestured for the wizard in anger, his words magnifying the extent of his fury, ¡°I¡¯m going to bloody slit these arrogant bastards¡¯ throats myself!¡±
¡°Sir Ovaron!¡± Despite their difference in rank and age, Ruth fiercely red at the older knight, who had already had his sword out, as a signal for him to be careful of his brash actions. Seeing the other party halt with some grievances, he then quickly whipped his head around and raised his hand high up in the air. However, before he was able to do anything, a me, along with a powerful growl, flew towards him without preamble. The scorching mes licked the walls without mercy, causing the stones to tremble violently at the heavy impact. And a scream tore out from Max as the world swayed before her eyes, and her hands frantically clung for life on to the battlement. At this open disy of aggression, the guards stood back in confusion. ¡°Let¡¯s see you try!¡± Rob Midahas instantly let out a resonating roar as he took out his sword. This was enough to plummet the situation into chaos. Max was only able to crumble down to her knees, astonished at the turn of events. Meanwhile, Ruth quickly snapped out from his shock seeing the bem unfurl before him. He swiftly made his way towards the defenseless Max and grabbed her up by the arm. Max numbly followed after him as they ran down from the confines of the wall to safer grounds¡­ the terror freezing her nerves being the only thing stopping her from screaming. From the earlier rancorous attack of the mes, the tall gates had been shattered to cinders and the knights openly marched in with sounds of guttural victory. ¡°Shield!¡± Ruth yelled with his hand up. And upon his order, it was as if nature bent to his will as a bluish barrier of wind appeared, halting the knights¡¯ advance. But this resistance was only momentary as an opposing knight swung his sword down and ripped the wind barrier apart with ease.
Ruth looked back in rm. ¡°He¡¯s a high-ranked knight. Sir Ovaron!¡± he yelled to the older knight. ¡°Leave it to me!¡± Despite a towering disy of a wall, Sir Ovaron scaled down the stone walls,nding with an audible sound on the earth. On his descent, he cried and swung his heavy sword towards the battlefield. At the deafening noise of two des shing together with immense power, the wind ripped and split into half. Max tried to quickly flee the iing man, but she felt so terrorized by fear that she tripped on a rock and fell to the ground. ¡°Madam!¡± Ruth, whose hands were tied with making barriers and unable to support her, could only look back and yell. Only a few steps from Max, was Sir Ovaron and the intruder in the middle of a ferocious battle.
The wizard and the guards were upied with blocking the intrusion of the ck-clothed knights while simultaneously protecting the civilians. The curious onlookers who had onlye to see what was going on, all screamed and ran away at the unexpected battle that came before them. Unable to muster any strength in her legs, Max barely stood up with the help from a nearby guard. Ruth then yelled, ¡°Madam! Please take refuge and go to a safe ce!¡± ¡°Bu-but¨C¡± She started. Despite her dread, she knew she had to do something, anything! She was the mistress of this home ¨C a home now being ruthlessly invaded by strangers! Ruth seemed to see the determination in her eyes, but he could only root her back to reality, ¡°Go, right now! You¡¯re no help even if you stay¡­¡± his words suddenly faded at the end. The wizard¡¯s eyes then shifted back towards the battlefield; his vigor seemed to fuel more energy into his spells. Max trembled all over, feeling out her wits. But then she felt a weird, tingling sensation ¨C a gut feeling ¨C beckoning her to nce into the blue skies. It was right then, a guard shot an arrow into the sky and yelled, ¡°Re-remdragon Knights! They¡¯re here! The Lord, the Lord has returned!¡± Chapter 76: The Lord's Return (2) Chapter 76 ¨C The Lord¡¯s Return (2) The soldier manning the tower cried out in deference, palpable relief on his features at the arrival of these men capable of turning the battlefield around. And it was as if their entrance signified an ominous presence, as it all suddenly became eerily silent. The sounds of fighting and earsplitting ngs of swords halted, as if it was never there at all. The protectors of Anatol all raised their heads, expectant and joyous, like a sunflower towards the bright sun as the intruders looked back in rm and shock. There, from up the green hills, only the sound of the hooves against earth rumbled against their ears as silver-armored knights stormed towards the castle. And when the face leading the knights came into closer view, all tension in Max¡¯s body bundling her nerves tight immediately disappeared. He was back. Yet this return was far from their first meeting; it marked a different feeling inside her¡­ It seemed like months when it had been only short of three weeks that Max hadst seen his figure, now dashing down from the slopes as if he was able to ovee any challenge. And she rightly believes it so. While she was observing him close the distance between the gates and his horse, she felt something stir inside her heart. One that of his presence giving her safety, and the second that of shame at having failed to protect their estate. ¡°¡­ I guess some guests came over while we were gone.¡±
Riftan looked over the ck-clothed knights from his majestic steed as he arrived near the battle that had ceased. The wind blew at his hair, wisps of dark locks dancing around his eyes that had thinned like a beast¡­ and an inmed one, about to devour those who stand in his way. As an ufortable silencemenced, he suddenly drawled out, ¡°What are guests that aren¡¯t invited called again?¡± he then held up his hand, and the Remdragon Knights behind him slowly surrounded the enemies in a circle. One said, ¡°Gatecrashers, leader.¡± ¡°More like burrs,¡± another spat. The knights steadily gathered around the dumbfounded intruders while exchanging words, only then did they stop their horses from stepping forward when they had taken their ce. Max silently watched the confrontation from where she was. It was only a few moments ago that these same trespassers were going at them at a frenzy, at the height of their confidence. Now, as if they were overwhelmed by a pressuring sense of oppression from the newly-arrived Remdragon knights, they didn¡¯t even move an inch. ¡°You daree into mynds and make a mess¡­ then allow me to write, ¡®Praise to the ignorant and the valiant who didn¡¯t treasure their lives¡¯ on your tombstones for you.¡±
His words were only softly spoken, yet the wind that brought them to its intended recipients blew chills down their spine. The sound of a sword being slowly drawn, as if he was taking his time, from its sheath, suddenly made the trespassers¡¯ face turn pale. The man who had announced himself as ¡®Rob Midahas¡¯ then hurriedlyid down his sword in an effort to diffuse the confrontation and yelled. ¡°I, I am Lord Rob Midahas, the ruler of Kai¡¯Sa in Libadon!¡± ¡°¡­Lord?¡± Riftan stopped and cockked one of his dark eyebrows up. Seeing Riftan¡¯s reaction, Rob was able to regain some of his confidence back and lifted his chin up, defiantly stating, ¡°These men,¡± he started to gesture to Ruth and the knights, ¡°havemitted disrespect by questioning my identity and refusing admittance! A small fight happened during the process. That¡¯s all there is to it!¡± ¡°A small fight you say¡­.¡±
Riftan¡¯s answer came in a gloomy slur as his gaze unhurriedly passed over the injured guards on the ground to the gates that had once stood protecting his estate now on the ground in ruins. Rob¡¯s face became noticeably hard. ¡°I-I¡¯ll apologize for not controlling my anger and my overreaction. So¡­ let¡¯s, let¡¯s let this one go. Yo-you wouldn¡¯t want to¡­ make the situation worse, as well. Therefore¨C¡± ¡°I guess this means war.¡± His calm voice coldly swept across them. Riftan smiled, barring his teeth like a ferocious wolf as he slowly stirred his steed towards Rob Midahas. The knights steadily moved aside to open the way for their leader and even though he was entering the enemies¡¯ domain, there was not a hint of hesitation nor wariness on Riftan¡¯s face. He continued his words ever so leisurely and serenely that it seemed monotonous to their ears. ¡°You brought soldiers and attacked the castle gate¡­ this is an obvious deration of war. In return ¨C and after I cut your throat ¨C I¡¯ll run to yournd, break down the city walls and turn everything I see into shambles.¡± Rob Midahas felt his heart in his throat. ¡°Are, are you insinuating you¡¯re going to break the peace agreement between the seven countries!? If-if you do that, the king of Libadon won¡¯t grant you forgiveness!¡± ¡°As soon as you broke the gates of my castle, you were no longer protected by the agreement.¡± At the casual deration of revenge, even Max felt goosebumps erupt on her body and she unconsciously gripped the guards¡¯ forearm tighter. Riftan¡¯s face was strangely calm. Yet the serenity before her felt eerie, like the quiet before a brewing storm.
A lot might think Maxi¡¯s development was stunted once more, but if there¡¯s one thing to know about growth, it¡¯s that: it will not always be linear. Some past traumas may still find their way to the surface and that is human. Nevertheless, change is inevitable and our Maxi will grow ?? Chapter 77: Riftan's Anger Chapter 77 ¨C Riftan¡¯s Anger The man named Rob, apparently feeling the same distress to befall on him, hurriedly backed away with his facepletely turned aghast. However, before he could retreat further, Sir Ovaron stood right behind him, his sword menacingly pointed at him, cutting off his only escape route. Being forced into a corner, Rob¡¯s face twisted, and he suddenly shouted, ¡°The-there are hundreds of knights in Kai¡¯Sa who have sworn allegiance to me! If you kill me, then it will be war!¡± ¡°I look forward to that.¡± ¡°Lord Calypse!¡± In the growing tempest, Ruth immediately made his way towards Riftan¡¯s side, who had his sword already out into the air. Seeing the wizard approach him, Riftan¡¯s dry gaze tilted towards him in question. ¡°If he really is a nobleman of Libadon, you can¡¯t kill him here. Once we take him into custody, we can negotiate with Libadon and sell him¡­¡± ¡°Are you arguing with my decision?¡± Riftan replied, boring his steely eyes into Ruth¡¯s smaller frame. Ruth stood his ground, looking at him determinedly, ¡°War brings nothing but loss. It¡¯s better to just follow the procedures and get somepensation in return.¡±
¡°I refuse.¡± Riftan spat coldly, the venom dripping from his words, ¡°We can just barge into hisnd and take everything, who cares about lengthy procedures?¡± It was a ruthless tone that conveyed he thought nothing of both the thirty-armed knights before them now and the hundreds of knights stationed in Kai¡¯Sa. Ruth let out a small sigh, ¡°If you do that then it will cause friction with Libadon and¡­¡± he trailed off and suddenly looked back at Max, who was hiding in the back with the help of a guard. ¡°Must you defile the eyes of thedy even more? Please show some chivalry.¡± A frown rippled across Riftan¡¯s calm face that had been promising war a moment ago. When he nced towards the back, trying to figure out what the wizard had meant, his eyes opened wide seeing Max unsightly sitting on the floor. Right away, a look screaming bloody murder, iparable with his fury from before, appeared on his still face. He fiercely stared at Ruth and snarled, ¡°Why on earth is my wife in a ce like this?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural that when a problem arises in the territory, it¡¯s the madam¡¯s responsibility to take care of it at the absence of the lord?¡±
Ruth stayed perfectly calm despite the ferocious aura that made even the knights around him freeze. Riftan gritted his teeth at the former¡¯s calm fa?ade, then suddenly pushed his sword right under Rob¡¯s neck with lighting speed. ¡°Drop your weapon and get down from the horse¡­ If you don¡¯t disobey, I¡¯ll let your neck stay connected to your head.¡± ¡°Just, just let me go! I¡¯ll leave thisnd right away¡­¡± ¡°You want me to just let you go after you attacked my estate?¡± Riftan then cut his horse down violently. ¡°It¡¯s either you die here or surrender. Your choice.¡± Rob¡¯s eyes quickly nced around to grasp the situation. His men werepletely surrounded by Remdragon¡¯s knights. Maybe realizing there was no chance of winning, he threw his sword away and came down from the horse. His knights, following his lead, also gave up their swords on the ground.
Riftan then signaled his knights with his eyes. ¡°Tie everyone up and throw them into the dungeon.¡± Max could finally let out a long sigh of relief, her shoulders visibly rxing. She couldn¡¯t believe that after he came, the whole situation had been cleared up in a matter of minutes. ¡°Ma-madam, are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere¡ª¡± ¡°What were you thinking?!¡± Max, who was trying to stand up with the help of a guard, felt her back stiffen. When she raised her head, she saw him sitting tall on his horse with his back to the sun. Despite the bright backlight, she could clearly see the anger perceptible on his face. She stuttered in reply, ¡°I-I heard there was a problem so¡­.¡± ¡°What the hell are you saying you could have done?¡± he snarled, gripping the reins of his horse until his knuckles turned white. At that moment, Max felt the blood from her face drain. She hastily bent her head down to hide her face white from shock. It felt excruciatingly suffocating, as if all the air from her lungs had fled, to see the person who treated her with such kindness up till he left, give her such a chilly look. ¡°I, I¡­¡± She desperately scrambled for words to defend herself, but nothing came to mind. Because it was as he said ¨C there was nothing she could have done¡­ Max couldn¡¯t finish her sentence and could only bite her lips tight she was sure they would bleed. She suddenly heard a harsh curse ring out from above her, and she felt her body rise into the air. Max stifled a yelp as Riftan snatched her up from the waist and sat her in front of him. When that was done, he then shouted back to the men behind him. ¡°I¡¯m going to the castle first. Clean everything up.¡± He didn¡¯t even stop to listen for a reply and just drove his horse away like lightning towards the castle. The youths, who had gathered far away to watch, hurriedly opened up the way for them. Max clung onto his bosom, which was wrapped in hard armor, and closed her eyes tight. His forearm, surrounded by a cold bracer, was fastened around her waist so tight it hurt. Chapter 78: One Head for Every Scratch (1) Chapter 78 ¨C One Head for Every Scratch (1) Frightened she had stepped out of line, Max had immediately cowered in fright, fearing she had made him angry with her. She¡¯d been around angry men, her experiences far too many to keep track of. It was almost second nature for her to begin feeling faint whenever a bigger man would step towards her, threaten her. But it wasn¡¯t just the violence that frightened her right now. It was the fact that someone who treated her so well, cared for her greatly, had now begun to bear his fangs at her. She felt like a dog punished by their owner for their insolence. She wanted to beg him not to hurt her, hate her. She knew she messed up, but her voice refused toe out, so instead, she only clung tightly onto his cloak in her desperation. ¡°Come on down,¡± Riftan told her, shaking her out of her treacherous thoughts, and she realized they finally made it into the castle. He reached out to her, offering her his hand to help her dismount the horse, and Max hesitantly grabbed it. She slid down gently, until Riftan pulled her close, her body flush to his, hefting her up in his arms and carrying her through the garden. A rush of servants came, bowing in greeting, but Riftan paid them no mind, preupied with only one thing. ¡°Put Talon in the stables,¡± he quickly ordered them as he finally entered the Great Hall. Max meekly looked up, watching his expression and studying the details of his face. He barely even spared a nce around the hall that she had gone through extreme lengths to redecorate in weeks¡¯ time. Max feels her body tremble more, the fear growing inside her¡­
¡®He¡¯s angry, really angry,¡¯ she cried silently in her mind, before she gulped down the fear and spoke up, ¡°Ri-Riftan,¡± she began softly, ¡°I-I¡¯ll walk by my-myself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk,¡± he quickly told her, as he sprints up the stairs, the carpet cushioning his steps as Max flinches at his harsh tone. Despite the added weight of his armor, and her in his arms, along with running up two flights of stairs, Riftan barely broke a sweat. He quickly entered their room, letting her down finally, and closed the door behind them. Max was left in the middle of the room, standing idly awkwardly as she waited for her punishment, when Riftan gave her an intense gaze after locking the door. ¡®Is this where it starts?¡¯ she fretted, ¡®What if, what if he hurts me physically? Why is he so angry? I only tried to fix things like a lord¡¯s wife would do!¡¯ Her knuckles turn white as her grip on her skirt tightened up. When she finally found her voice again, and opened her mouth to speak, something was already covering her mouth. ¡°Mmph!¡± she muffled, her eyes widening in surprise.
His hand, still in iron gloves, came up to her face, firmly sping her head in ce as he held her at the back of her head. His chapped lips move against hers, tongue prodding her lips open to enter her mouth. Max hands came up, resting at his firm hands, gripping it to steady herself. Her body was painfully pressing up against his armor, her pulled flush towards his, as his stubble rubbed her smooth chin. She let out surprised gasps from time to time, eyes wavering as she nced at him. When he finally pulls away, his gaze hardened as he looked down on her in his arms¡­ ¡°What would you have done had I not gotten there on time?¡± he asked her, his frustration leaking out of his voice, as he cradled her cheeks carefully. Max flinched when the cold metal came into contact, but she eventually rxed against it. ¡°I wa-wasn¡¯t ex-expecting they¡¯d be a-able to break through the ga-gates,¡± she answered him truthfully.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t have been there in the first ce!¡± he hissed at her, ¡°No matter what happens, you never. Ever. Go out there! Especially when it¡¯s dangerous for you!¡± he eximed in frustration before lowering his tone of voice, ¡°Alright? Do you understand?¡± he asked her, his concern shining out as he stared into her eyes. So taken with him, she quickly nodded in assent and relief quickly fills him, the tension rolling off his shoulders and he gave out a deep sigh as he finally calmed down. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Max finally reached out to him, her hand resting against his chin, rubbing soothing circles. Worn out, Riftan leaned into her touch, dipping his head as he pulls her face closer, resting their foreheads against each other. At this proximity, the grassy scent of his hair tickled Max¡¯s nose. She wondered if he had slept on the verdant fieldsst night instead of a cot or bed. ¡°When I saw you,¡± he began, his voice quaking as he spoke, ¡°On the ground, I felt like I was about to lose it, darn it!¡± he cursed, his arms tightening around her, as if to keep her close to him, ¡°I came as fast as I could, not even to rest, and when I saw you like that-¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m so-sorry.¡± Max whispeeds to him, but Riftan¡¯s eyes turn grave as he gets lost in his thoughts¡­ ¡°Had I not been quicker, had arrived a second longer¡­ things would¡¯ve been so much worse, f*ck it¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m so-sorry I scared you. I¡¯m re-really so-sorry.¡± She winced a little bit, pulling at his arm, softly telling him he was beginning to get rough as he rubbed her chin. Remembering he still had his armor on, Riftan finally released her, and proceeded to remove the metal constraining him. When his gauntlets were gone, and vambraces off, he neared Max and pulled her flush to him once more in an embrace. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Let me check.¡± he tolf her, quickly pulling away. Max felt like a moth to me, her eyes mesmerized by his ck orbs as he looks over her with concern, ¡°Let me see for myself you aren¡¯t hurt,¡± he added as Max could feel her heart throbbing painfully against her chest, her breathing echoing in her ears. She remembered the lonely nights, the endless worry of when he¡¯d return. The cold nights of when she curls around in on herself, hugging herself to sleep in a wide bed all alone, waiting desperately for him toe home. His calloused hands flitted everywhere on her body. From her tousled hair, to her face, resting on her shoulders, and grabbed her robe, pulling it down abruptly. Max choked back her surprise, her body jolting as the air hit her skin. She could feel the sweat trickle down her neck as he proceeded to examine her body. As his hands continued roaming, she felt a rush of heat begin pooling, recing the ice-cold sensation of fear from before. Her eyes followed his hands, watching the way his skin touched hers¡­ His hands soon went up once more, sping the pin in her hair, pulling it off and throwing it to the ground in haste. He grabs the back of her hair once more and pulls her close to him. ¡°One scratch, one head,¡± Riftan suddenly whispered in her ear. Long awaited reunion of our yandere Riftan and Maxi¡­ Last Week¡¯s Releases: [??][??][??][??][??][??] This Week¡¯s Releases: [??][??][ ][ ] If you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron NEXT MONTH and read ahead of schedule. Ying and Livy¡¯s current trantions (from left to right) Living as the Viiness Queen Under the Oak Tree The Duke¡¯s Imposter Sister Predatory Marriage Raising the Child of the Male Lead Boss Heavenly Divine Doctor: Abandoned Concubine Chapter 79: One Head for Every Scratch (2) | 19 Chapter 79 ¨C One Head for Every Scratch (2) | 19 Max blinked in confusion. ¡°What?¡± she could only utter in reply. ¡°Each scratch I find on you, one of their heads rolls down their shoulders,¡± he rified for her in another warm whisper, and Max felt goosebumps all over her arms with his words. There was a different kind of intensity when he said it in a hushed voice, much like a silent prayer. She was so used to hearing him shout in anger, like a raging forest fire. Max trembled beneath his touch like a dragonfly caught in a spider¡¯s web. His deft fingers made quick work of the straps holding her dress together, as she felt them begin loosening up, and pulled down her chest. His dark eyes swept over her figure. From her pale shoulder des, to her vicle, down her breasts, still covered with a thin cloth. She felt her breath tighten in anticipation¡­ ¡°One head,¡± he finally said, eyes quickly spotting one scratch before dragging the dress further down to expose more of her skin. When he reached her forearm, he saw the angry discolored skin, and his lips curled into a snarl. Flustered, Max poorly attempted to cover up her bruise.
¡°I got this from the li-library.¡± she excused, ¡°When I bumped in-into some-something.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± he snapped at her¡­ ¡°I-I¡¯m not ly-lying! Nhngh!¡± she murmured as he gently pressed a kiss onto her bruise, the words dying in her throat, watching as he slowly made his way down. After nipping gently at her pulsepoint by the wrist, Riftan straightened up, hooked one of his arms beneath her knees, and hefted her up effortlessly, with his other arm supporting her back. In reflex, Max brought her arms to circle around his nape, her vicle cradled beneath the crook of his neck. He dipped his head, nting a series of gentle pecks as he slowly made his way towards their bed. ¡°Ri-Riftan, re-really, I-I¡¯m not hurt,¡± she insisted, but Riftan was stubborn, gentlyying her down on the bed as he towers over her¡­ ¡°I said I¡¯d check for myself,¡± he told her, finally discarding her dress, pulling it off from the waist down and haphazardly threw it onto the floor. Feeling utterly exposed with just the quaint cloth covering her chest, Max averted her eyes nervously. His hands travelled down her legs, stopping by her ankles as he took off her shoe, and then the other, rolling up her underskirt. She couldn¡¯t hold back her grimace when he brushed upon the scrape she had gotten when she fell to the ground.
Immediately, Max mmed up, shutting her legs closed. ¡°This is no-nothing!¡± she continues, ¡°I o-only fell by my-myself!¡± ¡°They¡¯ve sealed their fate with this.¡± he growls lowly, his eyes ring deeply at the wound, a dark glint in his eyes. Max reflexively squeezed his arm gently, gaining his attention. ¡°Re-really, it does-doesn¡¯t hurt. Don¡¯t do that be-because of me.¡± she begs, and he frowns at her. ¡°They not only attempted an invasion on mynds, but also hurt my wife. It¡¯s my right to kill them and their blood to make them pay for their crimes.¡± he tells her, ¡°That won¡¯t even be enough to satisfy my bloodlust. I need to make an example now, to prevent anything of simr nature to ur in the future.¡± he exins, and Max¡¯s lips tremble¡­
¡°But you-you¡¯ve o-only just a-arrived¡­¡± her choked sob spilling out as he quickly looked up at her in shock. With a roll of her eyes, Max refused to avert her gaze as she continued on despite the tremor in her voice, ¡°If we go to war, you have to go far a-away a-again. And I will have to be a-alone.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± he curses softly, a hand immediatelying up behind the nape of her neck and pulled her down, smashing their lips in a searing kiss. She could feel his desire for her, his want to devour her, pull her closer than was physically possible. And despite her best wishes to do so too, her neck was aching along with her body with the awkward way it was currently bending. Sensing her difort, Riftan pulls away and adjusts them ordingly, his hand pulling her Schumi down to her waist, and cups her butt as he lifts her. She felt her head spin when he lifted her, gasping at the cold metal of his breastte as she came into contact with it, in contrast with his warm palm. She moaned as his tongue swooped in, tasting every corner of her mouth, tangling around hers before he pulled away with a string of saliva connecting their mouth. His eyes bore into her intently. ¡°You¡­ what are you doing with me?¡± he muttered in an anguished tone. He licked his lips, removing the rest of her clothes and threw it amongst the others on the floor. Max was now curled upfortable, bare as a newborn babe for him to see. His warm hands immediately came up to her chest, cupping her soft mounds, kneading it before diving in and wrapping her taut nubs into his warm mouth. Her hands immediately buried their fingers, carding itself around his hair, lightly pulling at it as she elicited a breathy moan. The feel of her armor against her naked skin was strange. She felt weak, helpless, and vulnerable. Her eyes caught sight of his neck, its sweat glinting as the armor reflected its light, giving his glossy ck hair a mesmerizing shine. Riftan felt his vision blur in front of him as his hunger for her grew intense, his ministrations beginning to get rougher by the second. He felt like he was losing control of his faculties, pulling her flush against him so hard, she feared he would crush her to bits. She gasped at the increasing sensation of her tips rubbing against the cold iron roughly as an electric sensation ran up her body and she twitched in pleasure¡­ ¡°You were always in my mind, f*ck¡­¡± he breathed out in that husky tone, nting fierce kisses in every inch of her mounds, ¡°Every day ever since we¡¯ve parted these past few weeks. It¡¯s been so hard.¡± A gasp escaped from her lips as he kneaded her chest, ¡°It was almost like it¡¯s been years since I¡¯vest seen you,¡± he tells her as his mouth swallows her other peak. Chapter 80: I Want All of Him (1) | 19 Chapter 80 ¨C I Want All of Him (1) | 19 Riftan slid his hands down, calloused palms rubbing against sensitive skin as he trails down to the inside of her thighs. He muttered feverishly against her skin, his warm breath spreading jitters as she spreads her legs to amodate him between her. She let out choked sobs as she also wrestled with the urge to mp her legs closed due to the pain. However, the decision was made for her as Riftan gently grips her thighs, spreading them further apart, his head dipped down as he buried his face between her legs. Shocked by his movements, Max squeaked and squirmed her body, twisting it to break away as she flipped her body on its stomach and pulled on the sheets. Despite her valiant efforts, she could not escape his hands and their grip on her. He pulled her back down, rubbing the pads of his thumbs in circr motions against her skin as he buried his face between once more as he kept her still. ¡°Ri-Rift.. ngh!¡± she moaned, her thighs reflexively mping around his head as she felt him delve into her. Riftan grunted at the sudden interruption, and grabbed her ankles, prying them open to prevent any more interruptions. Her breaths turned ragged as she lied down, pulling at the pillow and biting at it to muffle her sounds. Her body shook as he continued with his tongue circling gentle strokes on her petals. She still couldn¡¯t believe he would do such an obscene thing. It wasn¡¯t the first time she experienced something like this, but it didn¡¯t mean she was used to it. Her body felt so warm ¨C she could feel it betray her as it weed Riftan with no hesitation. Max threw her head back, her mouth agape as his stubble tickled her thighs. She shivered at the sensual feeling she got at hearing his breaths against her skin. It was erotic.
¡°Wait a little more,¡± he breathed out to her in a husky tone, ¡°Then I¡¯ll put it in.¡± Her hips thrusted upwards, as if telling him to hurry up. In response, his fingers began caressing her, trying to calm her erratic movements as he quickly removed his pants, freeing his hardened member. It sprang up in full attention, eager and stiff to enter her. She could hardly find the time to be embarrassed now. Max moaned at the growing sensation building up inside her, the warmth pooling at her gut. Her hands flew to the back of his head, gripping his hair and pulling at it lightly as she pulled him deeper into her. She could feel his warmth make contact, theirher regions rubbing against each other as they rutted together. She could feel herself lose control as she incessantly rubbed her already moist flesh against his hardened member. ¡°F*ck.¡± Riftan hissed as she grinded against him. His hands gripped her waist, steadying her before he aligned himself and rammed deep into her already wet walls in one swift motion. He groaned at the sensation, of her insides sucking him in greedily. He began to thrust, hips pulling and pushing as he hit her in her sweet spot. Max sobbed as she clung onto him.
She could feel the slight sting as he moved inside her. It¡¯s been a while since they¡¯ve done it, but it still left her unsatisfied, wanting more of his body. She moved her own hips in a circr motion, meeting with his lunges as he crushed her body into his. He was still in his armor. His eyes raked over her body; his lips shivered as he took the pretty way her skin flushed. Dark, beautiful eyes stared at her as if to devour her. Unfortunately, he was the one to be eaten tonight. She wrapped her legs around his waist tightly, urging him to move. She couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d done such a thing. ¡°Ugh, what you do to me¡­¡± he mumbled softly as Max pulled him closer to her.
¡°Ri-Riftan¡­¡± she looked up at him, her eyes pleading as he desperately tried to control his urges. Harder, just likest time, please, lose control¡­ she begged with her eyes. With one more pull from her legs, harder than before, Riftan felt a dam broke as his desires grabbed hold of him full force. He felt himself lose consciousness for a moment before he eyed her with deep seated desire. He picked up his pace, ramming deeper into her¡­ Harder¡­ He wanted to break her, turn her into a sobbing mess. He could feel her growing desperation for him as her body writhed with every thrust, her toes curling deliciously as she spread her legs further. He felt his breath hitch at the sight of her, as he suddenly felt faint. The sound of the creaking bed had numbed her ears. His armor nging loudly as sounds of flesh hitting flesh joined the fray. He whispered her name over and over¡­ ¡°Max¡­ Max¡­¡± He let out a long and drawn out moan. It made Max feel many different things as she heard it. She found it beautiful, just like how everything about him was for her. Be it his face, the way his eyes were lidded with desire. She insatiably drank in the sight of him as she lightly pawed at his face. Riftan drew her in by the waist as he dived in for a kiss as he pressed in deeper. But no, it wasn¡¯t enough. Deeper, Max wanted him to go deeper, impale her to the depths she hadn¡¯t known existed. ¡°Ah, damn it.¡± Riftan cursed as he pulled away, finally breaking free of his lust, ¡°I didn¡¯t even take my armor off.¡± Instinctively, Max clung on to him tightly as he untangled their limbs. She could hardly believe the audacity of her body asking for more. At the feel of her grip, Riftan looked down on her flushed face, chest heaving heavily and out of breath. He chuckled, resumed to untangle their limbs, rubbing soothing circles along the way on her thighs. ¡°Just a moment.¡± He told her, ¡°We¡¯ll be at it again in a second.¡± He finished, as he finally managed to stand up. Chapter 81: I Want All of Him (2) | 19 Chapter 81 ¨C I Want All of Him (2) | 19 ¡°No, I¡­¡± Max began protesting as she closed her legs once he was gone almost immediately in embarrassment. Riftan¡¯s deep gaze refused to move away from her as he made quick work of his armor, throwing the breastte, shoulder pads, greaves, boots and his tunic haphazardly to the floor. On his back glistened the thin sheen of sweat, as the sunlight poured in from the window. His muscles flexed as he moved, much like a skintight golden armor. Max found herself enamored with the sight of his naked torso. It used to be the sight of a man would cause her so much terror. However, with Riftan, it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, so unlike with their enemies who would tremble at the sight of him. She could feel her heart thundering against her chest¡­ She wanted to touch him. ¡°Come here.¡± He whispered as he tossed his pants off and sat on the edge of the bed, fingers moving ine hither motion. ¡°Come sit on top of me.¡± ¡°Ri-Riftan, I-¡± ¡°You¡¯re not satisfied yet, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked her, quirked up a brow in her direction, ¡°I¡¯ll make you full again.¡± He said, his hands moving to grab his member. She hesitated for a moment, before doing as he told, watched in a sensual thrill as he pumped his hands on his length, making it go hard as she moved to straddle his hips.
His free hand gripped her soft thigh,s guiding her as he steadied her on hisp. She tried to stand up again, her embarrassment getting the best of her, but his grip on her waist prevented her from escaping. He drew her in, slowly, mouth quickly wrapping itself around her chest as he scraped his teeth around her perked nubs. She moaned as she felt him rubbing his now hardened member against her petals, the touch teasingly light. Her arms snaked around his head to pull him closer. It was as if she was possessed ¨C her finger wounded themselves around his hair, pulling at him, hugging him closer to her peaks. It was as if her body was demanding for him to be closer. She buried her face, inhaling the scent of his hair as she rubbed her smooth cheek against it. He gave one upward thrust, and entered her until he was fully sheathed inside. Max shuddered in pain and satisfaction simultaneously. Their limbs entwined around each other¡¯s like snakes coiling around during mating season. ¡°You, you¡­ you were about to go crazy without me too, right?¡± Riftan breathed out, his desperation leaking out of his voice as he stared at her. Max stared at him with hooded eyes, her body warm as it was wrapped around his, heart pounding hard against her chest. It felt like it would burst. ¡°Hey, tell me.¡± He prodded once more, ¡°I¡¯m not the only one going insane, right?¡± he repeated in a low growl and Max moaned.
¡°Yes, I was a-about to go cra-crazy.¡± She admitted as she mumbled her words, her mind muddled with pleasure. He gritted his teeth as he continued to pound against her, his hips thrusting in deeper strokes as her body shuddered with the force and intense pleasure. Her nails dug into his skin as her hands found purchase on his neck. And eith every deep thrust, her wetness clung to his skin, driving him mad. Her inner walls scraped against his ho, throbbing length, wracking her nerves with endless desire as she rolled her hips in tandem with his. Despite their skin already rubbing against each other, she still wanted to pull him closer, bury him deeper into her. Max cried out, the slick of their sweat made it harder for her to hold on. More, just a little more, she chanted inside her mind. The heat coiling around her gut¡­
She wanted to swallow him whole, devour everyst inch of him. Mine, take me¡­ her voice echoed inside her thoughts as she hugged him tighter, clinging onto him for dear life¡­ ¡°Max¡­ Max¡­ ngh¡­¡± he moaned against her ear, his warm breath hitting her earlobes. Max pulled away as she opened up her eyes to look at him. So beautiful, she thought. To think such a specimen would look at her with such desire, filling every crevice of her body with want and satisfaction¡­ Staring at her as if she was the only one for him. The floodgates opened as he filled her as promised and Max felt like crying. *** The cackle of the fire as it danced on the wood, and the rattling sound woke Max up from her slumber. Before she knew it, the day had ended, and now it was dark outside. She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting, before she pulled herself up as quick as she could when she spotted him. Riftan stood in front of the firece, his gaze trained intensely onto the burning logs. Despite her efforts, her legs were stubborn, unmoved as the strength from her body left her. She let out a soft groan in protest, when Riftan quickly spun around to see her trying to get up. He must¡¯ve heard her. He was already dressedfortably, a ck tunic with wet spots all over, indicating he had taken a bath shortly before. ¡°You¡¯re quite the light sleeper, aren¡¯t you?¡± he told her, his eyes glinted with amusement as he let out a low chuckle. Max shook the sleep away from her mind. ¡°I di-didn¡¯t e-even know you washed up.¡± She told him, and he hummed at her, suddenly walking towards her. ¡°I wanted to wait until you woke up to take a bath together, but I needed to ask some questions.¡± He informed her, nting a soft kiss on her bare shoulder des. She felt her cheeks flush, as she looked up at him with nervousness. ¡°So, you in-interrogated them?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He sighed as he stared back to the fire, ¡°I even summoned the clergy to verify on of their status.¡± ¡°So there¡¯s, he was re-really an a-aristocrat..?¡± she asked, as Riftan grew silent. The frown he gave her for her question made her tense up. Why was she asking so carefully? Chapter 82: A Bold Kiss (1) Chapter 82 ¨C A Bold Kiss (1) Riftan answered in a slightly disconcerted tone, ¡°That¡¯s right. He was a nobleman from Libadon.¡± Max suddenly felt faint with Riftan¡¯s confirmation. Did I do something wrong again? There was a nagging suspicion alight in her mind that perhaps things wouldn¡¯t have gone astray had she acquiesced to the man¡¯s demands and offered him a peaceful entry to Anatol¡­ Seemingly sensing the worries from her scrunched face, he reced his hands towards her disheveled hair, curling his fingers around her locks carefully before pushing her to him so he could ce a chaste kiss on her cheeks. It was a gesture meant tofort her anxiety. He then proceeded to vanquish any sort of overthinking in her, ¡°But he wasn¡¯t a feudal lord as he imed. He was only the son. He wasn¡¯t too favorable of his father choosing his half brother as the sessor to the family. Lo and behold, he stole his family treasure and escaped with it to Whedon.¡± Riftan softly unbundled the knots in her fiery mane as he continued, ¡°He¡¯s been wandering around the country with the knights who followed him, and then caught a whiff of a rumor that I seized rare treasures from the dragon expedition.¡± Max¡¯s eyes widened at this information. ¡°Then¡­ di-did he came here to hu-hurt Riftan?¡± she replied in a worried tone. When this question reached his ears, the fingers ying with her locks froze momentarily. For a while, his gaze was only trailed upon her in scrutiny ¨C but very much out of fascination. Max found his steady gaze bewildering and almost retreated from his touch when he suddenly burst intoughter.
¡°He¡¯s not that insane.¡± He said, a small smile on his lips, ¡°He just never thought I¡¯d cross thend from Drakium to Anatol in eight mere days. He got his timing wrong, it was far off.¡± Come to think of it, Max did remember Ruth telling her that Riftan would be able to shorten the travel from 15 to 10 days should he hurry. For him to be able to curtail that to two more days ¨C he must have been traveling in great haste. ¡°Or¡­ was it I who got the timing well? Had I been a day or twote¡­ it would have been terrible¡­¡± His words suddenly trailed off as he went deep in thought. ¡°He had three men with him that were high-ranking knights. Rob Midahas himself wielded a powerful magic device. It would have been difficult ¨C maybe even impossible ¨C to stop his troops with the remaining soldiers in Anatol.¡± ¡°Ma-magic¡­ tools?¡± Max asked with some uncertainly. The realm of magic and their nuances still came as a strange existence and knowledge to her. ¡°It was the family heirloom that he stole. A magic tool capable of conjuring a high level me spell. It¡¯s what turned the gate to cinders.¡± At the memory of the blown off gate, his face suddenly hardened. ¡°With Remdragon out of the territory, he might have thought he probably had the chance of winning. In fact, it would have been a struggle to locate him had he robbed our vaults and fled to Libadon by the time I got here.¡± He growled in anger at the thought, like an awakened beast ready to fight. Seeing him be more heated, Max anxiously grasped his arm. While she knew his fury was with reason, there still lies the fact that he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid damaging conflict should he recklessly harm someone of nobility. Even if that said noble did something senseless.
When Riftan looked down and caught sight of her anxious eyes, he only smiled bitterly, apparently aware of this fact as well. ¡°I was meant to cut his head off and hang it on the wall. An example for those who want to invade our walls. But¡­ it truly would be devastating to engage in a war.¡± Max knew Riftan was stubborn to his roots, therefore when she heard the man speak of apromising tone, she was quite taken aback. ¡°The-then¡­?¡± ¡°At the break of dawn tomorrow, I will be contacting his father. And then I¡¯m going to yell at him to discipline his child after I tell him topensate for the damage.¡± Faced with an answer that spoke of little violence, saved, possibly, for some minor cussing, Max sighed in relief. Riftan was quite satisfied with the idea, even more so seeing that his wife was contented with it. Finally, finding a conclusion to the dreary matter, he began to move his lips to her shoulders, cing soft kisses on her skin as a small smile formed on his lips. His kisses tantalizingly moved towards her decolletage and then to her warming cheeks, and as he moved closer to her Max could smell a fragrant scent from his damp hair.
Suddenly, Ruth¡¯s words came to mind, that of him telling her Riftan would probably pout if he urged him to use scented soap to be more satisfactory in the Madam¡¯s eyes. She couldn¡¯t help theugh that bubbled out from her chest. This, in turn, prompted a curious look from the oblivious watcher. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°Well, the, the scent of ro-roses¡­ from yo-your hair¡­¡± she frankly began causing a faint blush to cross his cheeks. ¡°I only thought.. you¡¯d like it more if it smells good¡­¡± Watching him smooth his wet locks hurriedly in embarrassment, Max felt heart tighten. It was only some time ago when she first met him. Back then, with his menacing words and towering figure, she had surmised he would be as fierce as her father ¨C if not, even worse¡­ Yet she never thought it actually would be the pr opposite. A man that was unlike his external appearance could be so kind to a fault¡­ And she never thought she would now find him so lovely, this husband of hers whom she had been so afraid of once. ¡°Um¡­ am I not manly enough?¡± he suddenly murmured, breaking her off from her trail of thoughts. As he sniffed the lingering scent of soap on his body, somethingpelled Max to slowly rose despite her drowsy body and softly press her lips over his cheeks. At the soft touch, his reaction was instantaneous: body hardening like a stone. Realizing her brazen actions, her head felt faint as a searing blush crept to her face. Yet she was resilient on cing one more kiss at the tip of his chin ¨C she might as well go all the way. ¡°Oh, no. It-it smells go-good. And Riftan, yo-you are¡­ always manly.¡± Riftan, who had been struck silent all along finally uttered, ¡°¡­ Then I¡¯ll use this soap for the rest of my life.¡± Apologies for thete updates. My health hasn¡¯t been good these days so I had to take a break. Will post the remaining chapters sometime this week ?? I hope these chapters were enough to satisfy you all from the drought¡­ This Week¡¯s Releases: [??][??][ ][ ] Last Week¡¯s Releases: [??][??][??][??] If you want to support your trantors, you can be our patron and read ahead of schedule. 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Something tingled inside her as he gently caressed her soft mounds in ardor. At the unexpected way her body reacted to his touch, Max began to slip from his grasp in embarrassment. ¡°Oh, you, you already¡­¡± she tried to fumble for words and ultimately ended up gesturing to his damp hair as if trying to say she didn¡¯t want to mess it up. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± His gaze intensely bored into her, leaving her no room for escape from his clutches. ¡°You seduced me first.¡± Thetter only widened her eyes at this. ¡°No-not se-seduce¡­no¡­¡± Indeed, she had kissed him boldly ¨C a first of hers ¨C yet she had done it out from the sweetness that sprung from inside her¡­ though it necessarily didn¡¯t mean she wanted to pull him back under the covers! Yet it seemed her futile reasoning was only drowned by his intense affection for her. One that she felt lost in the more she dwelled on it. His top was suddenly off, and his naked, beautifully sculpted torso decadently shined in the light, bringing a thrill to her blood. He rushed at her without another second, encasing her lips in a hard kiss, rough and desperate. ¡°You¡¯ve earned it yourself, Maxi.¡± He whispered like a drunken man as he pushed her under him with little strength. Only his voice, like a sickeningly sweet bass, rang out through her ears as the hours burned. Like a subus, he drained the strength out from her body in fervor ¨C she was only his and he was only hers. The satisfaction of their joint bodies was much greater than the initial pain and she eventually sumbed to his persuasion and needs, her arms locked against his neck as the night gently cradled them to a world only theirs. *** The next day, Max woke up only after midday. As per routine, she washed and dressed with the help of a maid. Despite having stayed up all night, Riftan was already gone as soon as dawn broke, having went out to deal with the intruders. Having remembered he had traveled a long way, she felt sorry he wasn¡¯t able to rest properly. ¡°Madam, are you ufortable anywhere¡­ ?¡± Rudis, who was diligently brushing her tangled locks, asked in a worried tone, a hint of anger on the maid¡¯s usually cool face. Max immediately shook her head. ¡°Oh, no¡­ I¡¯m-I¡¯m all right.¡± ¡°The wizard said he¡¯d take care of the wound¡­¡± The maid persisted, concern bing more evident on her face, ¡°Should I bring him in right now?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s ju-just a slight injury¡­ it¡¯s no-nothing.¡± The older woman was currently fussing over a wound she had gained from the battlefield ¨C yet to Max, it was merely a little scratch on her leg when she fell. Max shifted her eyes down, touching the fresh wound from yesterday that stretched on her shin. Compared to this meager wound, the guards must have suffered more severe injuries from the enemies¡¯ sword. She shook her head fervently, not wanting to fuss with such a little scratch. ¡°It¡¯s o-okay, you do- don¡¯t have to do¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, no. It could be a scarter on¡­.¡± Rudis, who rarely spoke strongly, soon mped her mouth shut, thinking her attitude was bing presumptuous. After some time, she finally said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll get some ointment.¡± ¡°Wi-will you?¡± Max answered back, feeling apprehensive at the thought of a scar forming. Rudis hurriedly went out from the room and came back bringing a round bottle of medicine and some clean bandages. While it wasn¡¯t a wound that required bandages, Max obediently applied the medicine under Rudis¡¯ insistence and wrapped it with the clean cloth to prevent it from being contaminated. ¡°Tha-thank you,¡± she softly said after the ordeal was done. The maid straightened up, brushing her skirt straight. ¡°I¡¯ll bring the meal to your room.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯ll e-eat at the ha-hall and do the re-rest of things I didn¡¯t do ye-yesterday¡­¡± ¡°The Lord told me to let you stay in the room and rest today.¡± An awkward looked crossed Max face at Rudis¡¯ words. While it was true she was quite weary from the several rounds of love-making they did throughout the night¡­ it wasn¡¯t to the point where she wanted to just curl up and let the day pass. Besides, didn¡¯t she only wake up at noon? She didn¡¯t want to be stuck around doing nothing in the room, and alone, while he was already out and working without proper rest. ¡°I-I¡¯m a little surprised from ye-yesterdays¡¯ fuss but¡­ I¡¯m not sick,¡± she began. ¡°But the lord told me¡­.¡± ¡°I-I will tell hi-him.¡± With her stubborn firmness, Rudis no longer refuted and answered with a quiet nod. Max then left the room with a thick shawl draped around her shoulders to shield herself from the chilly afternoon breeze that was even pouring in from her open shutters. She walked down the hallway, sweeping her sights down the clean, newly washed window frames andid out carpets. ¡°B-By the way¡­ Di-did Riftan say so-something about.. the ca-castle?¡± At the question, Rudis became embarrassed. She hesitantly replied, ¡°He couldn¡¯t afford to look around because of themotion yesterday.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ ye-yes.¡± ¡°However, the knights were stunned.¡± Rudis added hurriedly as soon as Max looked dejected. There was an unusually bright smile on the face of the taciturn maid. ¡°They arrived at the Great Hall for dinnerte into the night yesterday, and the first time they arrived at the castle, they praised it for the astounding changes.¡± Max perked up hearing this. ¡°Re-really?¡± Rudis nodded again at her query. They then stepped down the stairs though the hallway, Max footsteps bouncing with every footfall. As soon as she appeared, the maids cleaning the hall¡¯s windows would straighten up and bow politely towards her. When she finally entered the hall after exchanging greetings with the other servants, Ruth and three of the Remdragon knights, who were eating, raised their heads towards her. Fixed with their gazes, Max suddenly halted where she stood. Unless it was a special day, the knights usually ate their breakfast and lunch at the hall as amodated by the castle. It was the first time she had encountered them without Riftan by her side, therefore her eyes flitted to and fro, uncertain with her next action. ¡°Are you all right? You fell pretty bad yesterday.¡± Ruth broke the awkward silence that lingered in the hall. His hair was disheveled, as if he had just woken up from sleep as usual. He yawned, ignorant of the tension in the room and looked Max up and down. ¡°I thought you¡¯d broken bones since Lord Calypse was acting so desperate towards me. But it looks like you¡¯re all intact.¡± ¡°¡­ It-it¡¯s only a li-little scra-scratch,¡± she muttered softly in return. ¡°I thought so.¡± He tly replied and pulled out the chair next to him. ¡°Sit down first. Bring the madam her lunch too,¡± he then gestured to the servants, thetter bowing without another second thought. Max cast a quick nce at the face of other knights, which didn¡¯t betray a trace of their emotions, and resignedly sat herself down in front of the table. It seemed too awkward and improper to just leave. Yet even when she was already seated, ufortable silence still prevailed. Max waited impatiently for the meal toe, and when she couldn¡¯t stand the silence, she finally opened her mouth. ¡°Whe-where is Riftan¡­?¡± ¡°Lord Calypse is outside repairing the gate. He called in cksmiths and engineers to hang steel doors this time.¡± Ruth grumbled, ripping the bread in half and ced it grumpily inside his mouth. ¡°It seems that he wants a defensive barrier to be set up. He¡¯s already a maniac with defenses and now that darn nobleman just had to turn the gate into ashes and make him more jittery that he already is.¡± ¡°It-it¡¯s good to be sa-safe.¡± Max deliberately replied in a lively voice, relieved to have something to talk about. Ruth, however, merely frowned and eximed as if such request would drain the life out of him. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll probably break my bones just to deliver his request.¡± Just in time, the maid came in bringing soup with chicken, sd and freshly baked bread and ced them on the table. Max¡¯s eyes bulged at the appetizing scent of the warm soup that wafted into her nose. She didn¡¯t know exactly how magic tools were created, but from the wizard¡¯s grumbles, she surmised it must be daunting and troublesome. Ruth grabbed his head and continued to moan throughout their meal. Then, as if a brilliant light bulb hit him, he raised his head and asked Max, ¡°Come to think of it, you can do basic math, Madam, can¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 84: A Constant Blame (1) Chapter 84 ¨C A Constant me (1) Max swallowed abruptly that the food almost went down the wrong pipe. The man before her stared at her with a peculiar gleaming from his blue-gray eyes, which until now, have always seemed to be full of sleepiness. Cold sweat started to break out on Max¡¯ forehead. If she says she could not do it, then it will seem as if she was willing to be considered as a fool in front of the knights who have been ignoring her as if she were aplete stranger to them and unworthy of their time. If she says she can do it, however, she feels that her future here will be full of hardships. Max could not decide on either courses of actions as both seemed equally grim, so she instead decided to avoid his eyes and hoped they would change the topic by pretending to be distracted by the soup she was eating. However, Ruth reached out and blocked her view of the food. At that moment she was caught again as his slender eyes pierced hers. ¡°¡­ Is it okay to pay back like this?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not good enough to help you¡­¡± Max truthfully confided to him. ¡°I know. I wouldn¡¯t ask you if it wasn¡¯t a situation that I could handle on my own.¡± He responded as he looked down. Max felt a faint desire to help him, seeing the wizard look so pitiful before her. As she looked at him with forlorn eyes, it was as if he sensed her stares and looked at her then too. Having been caught, Max straightened her back and feigned indifference. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten that I helped you both materially and spiritually, have you?¡± The wizard suddenly spoke and Max ced her spoon down. ¡°N-No. But I really can¡¯t¡­¡± Max started to protest ¨C she could not help him even if she wanted to. Not only did sheck the ability to, but she also doesn¡¯t know what kind of hell she would have to face if she was going to do so. The wizard¡¯s fastidiousness was truly unusual, and quite rming. Max avoided looking at the wizard¡¯s face, while Ruth moved closer to her like a leech. ¡°All you need to do is organize simple records and calctions. It¡¯s a very easy thing to do, even for you.¡± The wizard told her and Max sighed. ¡°Hey, wizard¡­ Don¡¯t go too far. It¡¯s disrespectful to the madam.¡± The knight with them, who was pretending not to hear any of their conversation and was only interested in eating, finally joined in. Max thought that if she refused the wizard, she would be condemned as an ungrateful person and would hear this snarkybel whenever she encountered him. She was sure that was what this entric wizard would do to her if she refused him. Moreover, she thought that sooner orter she would have to bite the bullet and would not be able to avoid it forever. Out of her wits, she finally responded with a nod and the frown on Ruth¡¯s face turned upside down upon seeing this. He then reached out to take some of his potatoes and deposited those on her te as a sign of goodwill. ¡°I won¡¯t forget this grace.¡± The wizard told her gratefully. Max answered him with a tight lipped smile. ¡°¡­ You guys must have gotten quite close to each other during the times you have spent together.¡± Hebaron, the bulky knight who was still listening to their conversation, suddenly remarked. He then reached out to scratch the back of his head as if waiting for the implication of his words to sink in. Max hesitated and answered carefully and turned to address Hebaron. ¡°H-He gave me advice on decorating the castle.¡± ¡°Aha¡­¡± Hebaron responded almost fumblingly as he took a big bite off the bread and gave them a thoughtful look. Max dismissed her anxious thoughts at Hebaron¡¯s almost nonchnt attitude towards her and tried to finish her meal in peace. But the silence surrounding them was once again broken when Hebaron spoke up. ¡°The castle has be quite pleasing to look at.¡± He told them, and Maxiborously swallowed her food before responding. ¡°Ah¡­ Th-Thank you.¡± The man flitted his eyes around the room as if trying to take in the view. His deliberate acts of scrutiny looked awkward to Max, and she too was starting to feel ufortable with him. It¡¯s been a long time since Max and Hebaron knew of each other, but even so, they had never formally exchanged introductions and only ever seen each other in passing. Max did not feelfortable to talk with Hebaron so casually ¨C they were still strangers after all, so Max decided to just follow his gaze as he still looked around the room. For some time they remained in an agonizing silence. Soon, the knights who had finished eating their food had begun to leave their seats, one by one they came before her and bowed their heads in respect, then departed from the restaurant. Max looked down on her soup bowl, it seems to her, the food looked rather sad. ¡°The Remdragon Knights were unfair. Even with that attitude, I could not help but think.¡± Max was startled by Ruth¡¯s deration and turned to look at thetter. Ruth seemed to not have noticed this and continued the speech in a sour manner, while dipping the bread in the thick soup. ¡°This expedition was the opportunity to throw the weight of the Remdragon Knights across the continent if the result was favorable, but had it erred on the opposite site, they would have taken a devastating blow to their pride.¡± Ruth¡¯s eyes then clouded, as if he were currently trapped in some ce far away. ¡°The Red Dragon was that terrifying. Three or four knights would have been killed without Lord Calypse. In fact, there are those who were very close to death back then. One of them was Lord Calypse himself, as he fought on the front lines and crossed paths with death several times.¡± Max began to stiffen despite Ruth¡¯s calm and monotonous voice, as if he were telling only a trivial story. ¡°The Duke Croix has passed on such a difficult and dangerous expedition to Lord Calypse. Even the daughter didn¡¯t do the least to defend her husband, who had been pushed to death on behalf of her father.¡± ¡°I-I was¡­!¡± Max begun to protest but Ruth spoke out. ¡°That¡¯s what the knights who followed Lord Calypse have been always thinking.¡± Ruth ced his spoon down and talked with an expressionless face. Max just let her lip quiver in response. She wanted to argue that it was she who was thrown out. And it was her that had been ignored all this time by them. The man took her by force, and then left her without saying anything. She even thought before that he didn¡¯t want nor cared for her at all. What could she have done? Why was the me always ced on her shoulders? Chapter 85: A Constant Blame (2) Chapter 85 ¨C A Constant me (2) But soon, self consciousness sinked in and she was well aware that could be only an excuse. Max however, could not say a word and she felt her face grow white by the second. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know he was going to take me to the castle,¡± Max whispered as if it was an afterthought. ¡°The knights who went to the Castle Croix to take you were treated badly.¡± Ruth told her in his still dull tone, as she uttered in a faint voice. ¡°I-I haven¡¯t h-heard.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you think that you woulde to Anatol with the knights of Croix?¡± Ruth asked her, the intensity of his voice making her flinch. She couldn¡¯t say that there were no one to apany her on that journey, nor could she deny that her father would not allow for her to travel a long way there. Max could not even argue with him that even the idea of visiting her husband was impossible for her. In the end, she couldn¡¯t find anything to say that would seem reasonable to him, and something he would ept, so, she shook her head instead. Ruth shrugged beside her as if the issue was of no consequence. ¡°There¡¯s no point in looking back on what¡¯s already gone. No matter how the knights treated you, the fact that you are the wife of Lord Calypse remains unchanged. Don¡¯t mind what they do or say unless they be too rude,¡± Ruth told her and Max meekly nodded. Whether it was an act meant to provide Maxfort or to further irate her, the wizard had already stood up from his seat and said his parting words. ¡°Then, I believe you¡¯lle to the library to help me soon.¡± He told her, and Max responded by nodding feebly at his indifferent attitude. With that, the wizard paid his respects and went out of the great hall while stretching his shoulders. Max remained behind, as slowly the others began to file out of the room, soon leaving her alone in the room. By now her soup had already gone cold and unappetizing but Max still stirred it aimlessly, round and round the bowl in an unending circle. She felt like she was in a very lonely and anxious situation with no way out. Maybe other people were feeling the same way as she was. Perhaps her reputation as the wife, who had pushed promising knights to their deaths and caused faithful allies to turn away from her husband, was what she will forever be known as, and now, Max thought that they might be thinking of her only as a pampered mistress now that she was showered with Riftan¡¯s riches. Her mind then went back to the time wherein she was tantly ridiculed by the man named Rob Midahas in front of the gate, and in front of her own people¡­ this memory still served to break even the slightest confidence she has managed to build up over the past few weeks. Everything had faltered badly in one instance. Would Anatol¡¯s residents be proud of their hostess who showed such a pathetic face? She couldn¡¯t stand the mncholy feelings inside her heart any longer and Max finally gave up and stopped eating her food. She turned to leave and went out of the restaurant in silence. ¡°Madam!¡± Max turned around to look at the source of the voice. Perhaps her precarious mood was too much that Rodrigo was able to spot her walking across the hall. His polite voice came to greet her from behind, and so she stopped walking and waited for the older man toe close to her. Rodrigo was walking through the gate with arge box in his arms. ¡°The Lord hasmanded me to ask you that you go to him,¡± he then told her while shifting the box in his hands. Max looked at him in surprise. ¡°I-I heard he went to the north gate.¡± ¡°He just came back and is now in the garde-¡± Rodrigo responded. Max started to run out of the door before his words were over. As she passed the pavilion and stood in front of the stairs, she saw the servants busily carrying luggage in the spacious garden. Her eyes suddenly widened at the sight: there was a huge cart led by five horses, and the servants were constantly taking out small boxes off of it and were carrying them into the castle in delicate movements. Max passed by them and went down the stairs gingerly. In front of the wagon, Riftan stood talking with two men who seemed to be merchants from the South Continent. He turned his head towards Max when he spotted her. ¡°Maxi.¡± He greeted her and Max tried to give him her best smile in reply. She then quickly hurried towards him, like a puppy called by its master. Riftan smiled faintly and took the horse rein from the merchant and slightly pulled it forward. The mare, so breathtaking that it enchanted the people around, began to walk forward, slowly but gracefully. Finally, Riftan and Max met halfway. ¡°Here.¡± Riftan told Max as he gently patted the long, graceful neck of the horse and proffered its rein. Max¡¯s eyes were nkly staring at the creature, unable to read his proposal. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± He asked her again in a slight teasing tone. ¡°E-Excuse me?¡± Max replied as she didn¡¯t understand what he meant. He instead, grabbed her hand and forcibly let her hold the rein. ¡°I said I¡¯ll buy a gift for you when Ie back, didn¡¯t I?¡± Riftan reminded her. Max nced at his calm face and then at the meek horse. He pulled her out of her dazed look and led her to touch the horse¡¯s face. She timidly stroked the golden mane with a trembling hand and in response to her touch, the mare gently rubbed her nose in her palm. ¡°All of my horses are big and ferocious, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll suit you. This mare is still young but well trained. So it won¡¯t be hard to handle her.¡± Riftan told her as he noticed Max warming up to the horse. ¡°S-so pretty..¡­¡± Max breathed, and Riftan smiled contentedly at her reaction. ¡°Now it¡¯s yours.¡± Riftan dered. ¡°I-I¡¯ve never s-seen¡­. such a wo-wonderful g-gift.¡± Max told him. The mare rubbed its face in the palm of her hand with a charming pout. Max mildly stroked its mouth and nose and gazed at the wonderful gift he had given to her once again. The long slender legs and waist, rich golden mane, and clever ck eyes were the picturesque mare. The bnced body shape and glossy fur show that it is of an excellent breed. ¡°C-can I take it¡­? Really?¡± Max excitedly asked. ¡°I said it¡¯s yours.¡± Riftan assured her and he replied with a slight frown. ¡°No one but you can ride on such a fine fellow.¡± He added. The horse squirted its breath vigorously as if it had understood their exchange. Maxughed and stroked its ears. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Riftan asked, tilting his head and looking down at her. ¡°I l-love it.¡± Max replied. But to be honest she had more than a mere liking towards the horse and so Max decided to give her answer carefully. ¡°I re-really a-appreciate it¡­ I-I really do.¡± Max eximed after clearing her trembling voice that was filled with emotions, she had wanted to speak more confidently about how much she appreciated the gift. Chapter 86: Trying Her Best (1) Chapter 86 ¨C Trying Her Best (1) ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Max repeated, and as soon as those words escaped her lips, Riftan who had been looking down on her, dipped his head and kissed her. Riftan¡¯s sudden action took Max by surprise and she instinctively took a step back. Riftan on his part acted as if nothing had happened and begun to casually address the merchants around them, as if he had not just kissed his wife in front of the party. ¡°My wife seems happy. I¡¯ll give you an additional 50 percent as a token of gratitude. I thought it would take you a day or two more for you to deliver it, but it arrived earlier than expected. Therefore, I also thank you for hurrying up.¡± Riftan told the merchants, and thetter seemed to be in disbelief at his generosity. ¡°Oh, dear God! It¡¯s not a big deal sir. It¡¯s what you asked us to do sir, of course we had to cater to your request as soon as possible, it is only natural for us to satisfy our clients!¡± One of the merchants told Riftan. Max listened to their small exchange while hiding her red face behind the horse¡¯s neck. She felt embarrassed because of the way Riftan nonchntly expressed affection towards her in front of so many people. Max looked around anxiously to see if anyone might have seen their sudden disy of affection and felt scandalized by seeing it, thankfully it seemed that no one seemed to have minded the gesture as the servants continued on their tasks. After some time, Riftan finally ended his conversation with the merchants and thetter turned to leave. Just as they had begun to pack up and leave, Riftan approached Max and draped one of his arms over her, and hugged her to his side. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the room, so you can look more clearly at the things I bought for you. You might find something you would like.¡± Riftan told her with a gentle smile. ¡°I-is there more¡­?¡± Max asked in surprise and Riftan nodded before replying. ¡°All the boxes the servants are carrying now are your gifts.¡± Riftan then pointed to the pile of boxes still in the cart. Upon seeing it Max¡¯ mouth fell wide open. She estimated that there were roughly enough boxes to fill one of the castle¡¯s guest rooms. ¡°I told them to move it to the room. So let us go in now.¡± Riftan whispered to Max¡¯s ear as he handed the halter to a nearby servant and then led Max towards the Great Hall of the castle. Max allowed him to lead her inside. As they walked Max could not help but feel as if she was walking on clouds. She couldn¡¯t believe she felt so depressed and anxious a while ago, it was as if those worries vanished because of Riftan¡¯s arrival. ¡°So, be-because of the gate re-repair¡­ aren¡¯t you bu-busy?¡± Max asked shyly and Riftan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve already delegated the task to several people and have left them instructions on everything that needs to be done. The knights have decided to take turns in guarding the gate until it¡¯spleted, so there won¡¯t be any intrudersing into thepound and making a disturbance even if I don¡¯t stand guard.¡± Riftan told her and Max bit her tongue to prevent herself from responding. The truth was that Max did not ask Riftan because she was worried about the castle¡¯s security, rather she wanted to voice out her concern that since Riftan had only a bit of free time, she might be disturbing him in the midst of his busy schedule. Max however decided not to correct his understanding of her question. The two of them continued to climb infortable silence until they arrived at the newly structured hallway she had been working on. The sunlight came pouring in from the windows and was sprinkling beautiful golden rays on the red carpet. Riftan, suddenly turned his head to look at her. ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t properlyplimented you on the fact that the castle has be very nice since you redecorated it. The butler said you went through a lot to make it this beautiful.¡± Because of Riftan¡¯s sudden praise, Max found herself blushing at him. ¡°Do you like it¡­?¡± She asked him meekly. ¡°I like it. I was surprised when I came down the stairs in the morning. For a moment I thought I had moved to another castle overnight.¡± Riftan answered her in a slightly teasing manner and Max breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Ye-yesterday you di-didn¡¯t say a-anything.. I was wo-worried.¡± Max confessed as she recalled how worried she was the day before. Suddenly, Riftan¡¯s eyes narrowed at her. ¡°Yesterday I could not exactly say to you ¡®By the way, the castle has gotten so nice, you¡¯ve done a great job¡¯ in the midst of my anger. In the first ce, the one that caught my attention was seeing my wife in that mess. Do you think I would have seen the state of the castle at that time? Even if you had ted gold all over the castle, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed any of it, not at that moment.¡± Riftan exined with his brows deeply furrowed and Max dropped her gaze, wondering what to do now that he looked at her with his cold eyes as if he was incensed just thinking about it. As if sensing that she had grown depressed by his answer Riftan let out a small sigh and patted Max¡¯ head reassuringly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be angry anymore, so don¡¯t bring it up. Let¡¯s go see your presents now.¡± Riftan told her gently with a smile and Max nodded her head in understanding as they set off again. Once the two of them entered the room, Max saw the servants cleaning up the mountain of boxes and arranging them neatly at the corner of the room. Rudis was standing guard at the corner and was supervising the servants carefully. She kept her eyes locked on them and was making sure they did not drop the boxes, while throwing constant reminders to be careful with them. Finally, one of the maids saw Max and Rfitan and hurriedly bowed her head when she saw them. The rest of the servants followed suit and greeted them. After exchanging pleasantries, Rfitan approached Rudis. ¡°Did you finish moving all the luggage in the room?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all thirty-two boxes sir. Would you like to check their contents?¡± Rudis asked and when Riftan nodded, the servants began to open the boxes one by one with the wooden poker. Max stayed at the sideline and stared nkly at the endless pouring of gifts that was happening in front of her. From the Southern Continent, Riftan bought her high quality silk and morous pattern fabrics. There was also glossy fox fur, a waistband made of snake skin, a gold threaded shawl, silver hand mirror, and a hairpin decorated with pearls.. The piles of gifts reminded Max of those that Rosetta had received. She recalled seeing Rosetta buried in a luxurious gift countless times, but it was the first time she found herself experiencing it. Max reminded herself to remain calm. ¡°Is this all my pre-presents?¡± Max asked Rfitan, her mouth slightly trembled as she did so. ¡°Why? Do you not like it?¡± Riftan asked her in a worried tone. Chapter 87: Trying Her Best (2) Chapter 87 ¨CTrying Her Best (2) Max shook her head hurriedly when she saw him frowning. Max¡¯s half-sister didn¡¯t bat an eysh even after receiving a pile of jewels. It would be strange from Riftan and the others to see that the Duke¡¯s favorite daughter would shrivel at this. Max kept her face indifferent and recalled Rosetta¡¯s haughty demeanor. ¡°N-no. I l-like.. it.¡± Max answered simply. Riftan looked relieved at her answer and gestured at one of the servants to open the boxes near them. Max tried to stay reserved like all those wealthy princesses in stories. However, she couldn¡¯t stop her mouth from opening like a fool each time a new gift was unboxed. As another box was opened, Riftan approached it and took out an emerald hairpin from a jewelry box and carefully inserted it over her ear andpleted her look by adorning her neck with a sparkling diamond ne. Max looked down at the extravagant jewelry resting on her corbones and found herself be lost for words. Riftan pressed his lips on her cheek with a pleased face, he seemed to be liking what he was seeing. ¡°It suits you well just as I thought.¡± He told Max proudly. ¡°T-thank you¡­¡± Max answered. She muttered these words with a flushed face. Max then gently ran her fingers through her hair in order to feel the ornament that was stuck between her curls. She nced slightly at the mirror that hung on the corner wall and looked at her reflection. For a moment, she was struck with awkwardness seeing herself being adorned by so much jewelry. Riftan was treating her as if she were the most precious royal daughter in the world. It was both pleasant and ufortable. To be honest, Max felt like a clown wearing a mask that didn¡¯t fit her. ¡°Why such a face? You don¡¯t like it?¡± Riftan asked her after noticing her somber expression. Max hurriedly straightened her face. ¡°N-no. It¡¯s really pretty. Y-you must have been busy¡­ When d-did you find the time to buy a-all these presents?¡± She asked Riftan and thetter shook his head dismissively at her worries. ¡°You left all the jewelry and clothes you used in Croix Castle because of me. Of course, I have to make time to make it up for you.¡± He answered with a grin and Max hurriedly hid her blushing face. But the inside of her chest hurt as if there was a thorn in it. ¡°T-thank you for y-your consideration.¡± She told Riftan sincerely. Riftan seemed happy with her reaction and told the servants to organize the presents now that she had seen them all. As he busied with the servants, Max stood behind Riftan trying to erase the strange feeling of guilt from her mind. Especially since she didn¡¯t tell a lie, but even with these thoughts she could not erase the ufortable feeling inside of her. Riftan, after confirming that all the gifts wereplete and secured immediately went out to check the state of the prisoners. After he left, Max began to fill out an unfinished textile order she wasn¡¯t able toplete due to the disturbance yesterday. After careful consultation with the maids, she decided to head down to the kitchen in order to make sure that preservation of the winter meals was going well. Any castle is bound to be busiest during the times ofte fall to early winter. As these were the asions when temperatures began to drop rapidly, and when it will be more difficult to get fresh vegetables. The price of meat was bound to double or more during this season as well, therefore the kitchen servants had to work without a break in order to prepare longsting dried meats, pickled fruits, smoked sausages, andrge amounts of flour from the mill, and other stocks in order to prepare food for livestock. Max went to search for Rudis in order to get an update on how the preparations were going. Rudis then began discussing to her what they have been doing. ¡°In winter, it bes difficult to find grass for the livestocks, so we ughter most of them and only keep alive those we could feed. We take the ughtered cows and pigs from the butcher¡¯s shop, drain the blood, trim the guts and send it to the castle, the meat in the kitchen is smoked and stored, and the intestines are washed clean and used to make sausages.¡± Rudis told her as they walked along the kitchens to check on the preparations. Max listened to Rudis¡¯s exnation and looked all around her, she could smell the heavy scent of oil around them. She was used to the kitchen being full of bustle and busy staff, but for thest few days it almost looked like a battlefield. On arge table set up on the corner wall, three or four servants were making sausages withrge basins and tes surrounding them, while on the other side arge chunk of meat was being cut into small pieces using a saw and a pool of blood was flowing from it. The smoky smell of fire stung the tip of her nose. Max turned her head away from the direction of its source, and pinched the tip of her nose bridge. Outside the wide-open door, she saw four temporary fire pots made of stones. Five or six servants were putting arge wire on it and smoking a chunk of meat over it. She felt exhausted seeing the enormous amount of meat. ¡°I have ne-never seen so much meat be-before.¡± She told Rudis. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared enough food tost us for a while. However, we can¡¯t keep the smoked meat for too long, so most of the neat things we have are going to be made of dried. Beef jerky is also very useful for the knights when going out on a three or four days expedition.¡± Rudis informed her. ¡°I-is this all g-going to be made into d-dried meat?¡± Max asked Rudis, eyeing therge pile of freshly ughtered meat. Max looked curiously at the meat hanging on the wall. In the record sheet given by Rudis, the weight of food stored each year and the weight of food to be stored this year were meticulously written. ¡°As the knights return from the expedition, we need to prepare twice as much as we didst year. Actually, I should have prepared it before the temperature dropped..¡± ¡°D-does it t-take a lot of time?¡± ¡°The meat should be salted and drained for several days, then sliced thinly and dried in the shade for another few days. It takes a lot of work.¡± Rudis replied and Max felt suddenly embarrassed because it seemed that the preparations for winter had been dyed because of the castle decorations she had been doing. Rudis seemed to have sensed Max¡¯ guilt expression and hurriedly added, ¡°But with more hands, we¡¯ll be ready before the temperature drops further.¡± ¡°I-it is good t-then!¡± Max then nced around the kitchen staff and noticed that they indeed needed to hire more people. The sight of the sweaty working servants filled her with worry. It was the role of the hostess to supervise the household of the castle, and based on what she had seen, she knows that the workload of the servants has been enormous. Perhaps she should ask Riftan if he could hire more servants, for in addition to making food, the servants of the castle were already working so hard all day long, making winter clothes for soldiers, taking care of livestock, sweeping and polishing the castle that they may notplete their winter preparations. ¡°T-tomorrow I will a-ask Aderon i-if he can a-arrange the w-workers¡­¡± Max began to tell Rudis, but before she could finish her sentence she heard that there was someone calling out to her. ¡°Madam!¡± Chapter 88: Concerns (1) Chapter 88 ¨C Concerns (1) Before Max could finish her words, a powerful voice cut her off guard. Max then turned her head at the source of the bustle, and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw six knights in training standing up next to the meat-grilling stove, their faces were shiny with sweat, but their expressions were lively. Standing at the front of the group was Yurixion Lobar. When he saw her, he came running towards her, his face was full of relief and dness. When Yurixion was finally near her, he hastily asked Max his questions. ¡°I heard you went through a lot yesterday. Are you hurt anywhere? Is it already okay for you to be out like this? When we heard what those jerks have done to you¡­!¡± Yurixion began rambling, and with each second his voice rose an octave higher, and Max felt grateful for his apparent concern. ¡°I a-am fine¡­¡± Max told the young knight in training. Just as she said this, Yurixion¡¯s best friend Garow, came to stare expectantly at her as well. Garow¡¯s eyes sparkled in astonishment at Yurixion¡¯s incessant questions, and let out a small sigh at his best friend¡¯s actions. ¡°Yuri, calm down, please. You are making thedy feel embarrassed.¡± Garow told Yurixion. ¡°But Garow¡­ when I heard what happened I¡¯ve never felt more sorry for not being knighted yet.¡± Yurixion whispered back. The sulking expression Yurixion wore made Max smile. It reminded her of the image of a big puppy who was dropping its tail and sulking towards his master. He looked adorable. ¡°Th-thank you for yo-your concern¡­ bu-but I was fi-fine. T-the soldiers were hurt, but¡­ yo-your Lord a-arrived just in ti-time.¡± Max told the boys to reassure them. ¡°I have heard that story, too. I heard that those cowardly jerks were terrified by Lord Calypse¡¯s spirit and surrendered right away? They are pathetic cowards! Well, those mice of Libadon will not be a match for Lord Calypse afterall!¡± Yurixion excitedly eximed. It was obvious that thed had thought highly of Riftan. Max casted her eyes on the ground as she felt her cheeks heating up with embarrassment. The boy could hardly stop once he had begun to sing praises to Riftan. It¡¯s not that Riftan was unworthy of praise, which was why she felt like rolling her eyes when Yurixion started reciting about all of Riftan¡¯s merits and good deeds but because Yurixion always idolized Riftan that even Garow, who standing next to him, was already shaking his head as if he was tired of his best friend¡¯s daily habit of talking about their lord. Max gave them a resigned smile and carefully cut off the excited boy¡¯s words by throwing them a question. ¡°B-by the way, what b-brings you to the kitchen¡­?¡± It was only after Max asked the question that the boys seemed to snap back to their senses. Yurixion looked back at other knights in training standing behind him. ¡°We can not stand the smell of grilling meat. We slipped out during training.¡± Yurixion replied and Max nodded. That¡¯s why everyone looked so troubled when they saw her. Max smiled meaningfully to reassure the boys who were afraid that the hostess might tell on their leader that they skipped on their training. ¡°W-we are boiling sa-sausages now. Chef, ca-can you give them a p-te, please?¡± Max told the boys as she gestured for the youngds toe closer. The chef, who was stuffing the cleanly washed pig intestines, raised his face and smiled broadly. ¡°We are grilling over there on the fire pot now. Hey! Fill up a te of sausages and bring it here!¡± The chef screamed at a kitchen staff and the hungry boys hurriedly ran towards them like a swarm of bees. Max then decided to slip away when the boys began eating so that they could enjoy the snackfortably. When she came out of the kitchen, she saw servants were lighting up the candle holders all over the hall. If they did not light thenterns in advance, the entire castle would be dark in the instant the sun rested and so it was customary for them to do this. In the instance of emergencies, it was vital that the central hall and stairs had to be lit from early hours. The castle was twice as bright now than earlier when she passed its hallways as the newly orderednterns were ced everywhere, but the servants were also twice as busy. She spoke with a determined face as she walked through the hall. ¡°I wi-will immediately get more wo-workers for to-tomorrow.¡± Max told Rudis. ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡­.¡± Rudis replied to her while shaking her head. ¡°N-no. It takes more se-servants to manage such arge ca-castle. T-there are a lot of people ne-need to be served. I t-think we need at le-least 30 more t-than we do now. Will there be e-enough residences for them?¡± Max asked. ¡°Yes. There are plenty of empty rooms left on the first floor for the servants.¡± Rudis answered. ¡°T-then I will talk to the L-lord sometime t-today.¡± Max was resolute, they had to hire more people if they wanted to be ready for winter. For herst rounds, Max looked around the barn and when that was finished, she returned to her room to write a simple journal. In order to manage arge castle like the Calypse Castle, it was necessary to grasp what was going on in every corner of the pce, in order for her not to miss what problems they had or will have and she had to fix those soon for there were a lot of people depending on them. Suddenly a knock came from her door ¨C it was one of the castle maids. ¡°Madam, Lord Calypse is likely to bete, and he has sent me a message for you to have dinner first. Shall we set it up at the dinning hall?¡± The maid asked her. Max told the maid that she will have dinner at the hall and followed thetter out. When she arrived at the ce and was served the food, she decided to eat slowly, hoping that Riftan woulde home soon and find her there. How long she was sitting in front of the table, Max could not tell but she must have sat there for more than an hour because everything felt cold. Chapter 89: Concerns (2) Chapter 89 ¨C Concerns (2) Rudis, who had been out for a while had also now returned, and called her attention with a cautious voice. ¡°Madam?¡± Rudis began while Max still sat, and she wanted to ask how much longer she nned to stay at the dining hall. Max nced out at the window. It was all dark outside. Was Riftan still outside until this time? No matter how tough a man he was, Max was worried. She wished he could take a break for a while ande home. Finally, Max knew she could not keep the rest of the servants waiting for she, too, would worry them. Her food also had grown cold. ¡°Bring it to the room, please.¡± Max finally answered a curious Rudis and got up from her seat. She looked at the mes burning in the firece, ring up the firewood meaninglessly onest time before starting her way up to her room. The day at Calypse Castle was both very long and short. It felt difficult when she was busy, but she was satisfied herepared to when she lived in her father¡¯s castle as if she were a dead person. Was Riftan also satisfied living here? Max wondered. Recalling Rudis¡¯ words during the day, Max scrunched her face in deep thought. Through observing the attitude of the knights alone, Mac could tell how unfairly Riftan was treated by her father. He had no choice but to me himself. But he was trying to do better somehow and gain her father¡¯s approval. Frankly speaking, she didn¡¯t quite understand why he was acting that way. No matter how much she thought about it, she didn¡¯t have an attractive side to entice other people. She had neither a dazzling beauty, nor any extraordinary talent, nor was she full of wit. The only best thing to im was that she was descended from Duke¡¯s eldest daughter. But even that was not a big deal if she stood side by side with a princess. What part of her did he like so much for him to go through such lengths? ¡®Whatever the reason is¡­ It must be a lot of luck for me.¡¯ Max thought absentmindedly and let out a sigh. She admitted bitterly what her father had said. She thought that the sum of her father¡¯s violence had be an unexpected luck for her because it led her to Riftan. Max firmly prayed to make sure that this happiness would not pass away. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Max stirred as she felt a sudden chill enveloped her body. Her long and firm fingers gently wrapped around her chest in an attempt to warm her skin. Max awoke from her nap and looked at the faint morning dawn that was leaking from the window. It seems to her that she fell asleep while reading a book after dinner. With her shoulders curled up against the chilly dawn air and her stiff eyes blinking faintly, Max suddenly felt a strong forearm tightening around her waist. Max was startled by this and turned her head behind her to look. She saw Riftan sleeping next to her. When did hee back? He was lying on his side, wearing only a pair of bottom trunks. She nced doubtfully into his face. ¡®Is he pretending to be asleep..?¡¯ Max thought She had been fooled by him several times, so she squinted her eyes and looked at him for a long time wondering if he was truly asleep. But Riftan only breathed slowly,y still and didn¡¯t budge. When she pushed his hand carefully because she thought he was really asleep, he unexpectedly loosened his arm. Max turned around carefully so that her husband wouldn¡¯t wake up. ¡®Are you¡­ tired?¡¯ Max asked Riftan in her head. He was in deep sleep and she could not help but wonder at how tiring the previous day was for him. Max gently touched his finely sculpted face, which was covered by the bluish light of dawn that filled their room. His hair that had grown long was disheveled like a bird¡¯s nest. She saw his forehead wrinkled when the hair poked and tickled his eyes, so she pushed the strands over. At this moment he looked so vulnerable that Max slipped a smile. She did not know what¡¯s going on inside her head. She couldn¡¯t fathom her love for this man, who was at least 1 kvet (about 30 centimeters) taller and twice as big as she was. However, Max crawled impulsively into his arms and buried her face against his firm chest. When it seemed certain that he had fallen asleep deeply, the urge to take a more daring action soared within her. She put her face near to his neck and took a deep breath. A mixture of masculine body odor and fragrant soap, and the remains of intense sunlight, gave off an inexplicably sensual fragrance to her. As she inhaled the smell deep into her lungs, a mysterious heat trickled through her stomach. Max carefully touched his chin. Riftan was indeed a dazzling presence to behold. His firm, and yet smooth skin seemed to glow faintly even in the dark, and his face, with his long eyshes, looked innocent and lovely while he slept. ¡®I think my head is getting weird¡­¡¯ Max thought to herself as she stared at Riftan¡¯s sleeping face. Only a few months ago, Max had never dreamed of using the words naive or lovely to describe Riftan Calypse. But now, she was feeling the strange urge to rub her face deeper in his arms, as if he was a soft cotton pillow. However, she was holding back the crazy impulse to do so. Not only did she have no courage to do so, but she didn¡¯t want to wake him up from a deep sleep she knew he deserved after a long time of not being able to rest properly. Max slipped out of bed so he could rest well without interruption, picked her robe and left the room. There was a chill of dawn that greeted her in the corridor. She put on a thick robe over her thin woolen dress and went straight down to the kitchen. When she arrived at the ce she thought happily that she was right, indeed there was as much warmth in the kitchen as she thought. Chapter 90: Lessons on Defensive Sorcery (1) Chapter 90 ¨C Lessons on Defensive Sorcery (1) The head cook was kneading bread in front of a long table when he noticed someone pushing the door open. His eyes widened in surprise when he realized it was none other than Madam Max who had entered the kitchen. Max smiled awkwardly at the head cook as she moved to the firece while rubbing her palms against her shoulders. ¡°madam, what could be wrong at this early hour that you are here?¡± The head cook asked Max, the former¡¯s face was full of concern and Max shook her head faintly before replying. ¡°Well there is no-nothing wrong. I just woke up su-suddenly. I did not want to di-disturb the lord while he re-rested, so I came out qu-quietly¡­Can I stay here for a mo-moment? Will it be o-okay?¡± Max asked. The cook was caught off-guard when he heard thedy ask for his permission to stay in the kitchens. He fervently nodded his head in response. His actions were so abrupt and stront that he feared his skull would crack due to the force. ¡°Of¡­of course! I have prepared freshly baked bread and rabbit soup just now. Would you like to have a taste?¡± The cook offered Max and she smiled at him in turn. ¡°Well, ma-maybe just a li-little bit. I will eat some. But, be-before that¡­I want to wash my face¡­Could you bring me wa-water and a to-towel?¡± Max asked. ¡°Yes of course! Please wait one moment, madam.¡± The head cook immediately grabbed a clean basin off the shelves and poured hot and cold water in it in order to get the right temperature that would suit thedy of the castle. When he was done he quickly handed Max a crisp, clean cloth along with the lukewarm water. Max received them gratefully and then proceeded to sit at the table in front of the firece to wash her face more easily. She carefully dipped her fingers in the water and then ran her wet palms through her tangled locks. After she did this, soon a maid entered the kitchen premises and began helping the cook to set the table. It was also this same maid who brought and served her hot thick soup, as well as steaming fresh and white bread. Max moved the basin to one side, and then grabbed the warm loaf, and split it in half. The golden crust crackled as she pulled at it. White steam also rose from its soft, creamy, white flesh and carried its warm scent. Max then proceeded to spread a small dollop of butter, on it and then took a bite. The sweetness of freshly baked bread melted in her mouth, and its heat also slightly burned her tongue. It went deliciously well with the salty rabbit soup and her pte was soothed by the ss of goat¡¯s milk with honey that was also provided for her. Max enjoyed filling her stomach with the delicious meal in front of a roaring fire, and she felt quite satisfied. When she was finished with her meal she started to leave the kitchen feeling drowsy. ¡°What¡¯s the matter this morning?¡± Max asked herself as she debated whether to crawl back into bed, or start her day early since she was already awake. However, before she could decide on what to do she heard a familiar voice behind her call her name. Max spotted Ruth walking at the hallways that led to the kitchen; his face was clouded with frustration. He approached her swiftly and blocked her way. ¡°You must have been enjoying your early breakfast. That is a relief. Unfortunately, since I was carrying out important work for the lord, never mind breakfast, I haven¡¯t eaten since the day before yesterday.¡± Ruthined sarcastically at Max. Max¡¯s mouth stiffened at his speech ¡°Ye-yesterday, I was bu-busy¡­¡± she began to exin to him, but she was cut off when Ruth started talking again. ¡°Yes, I heard that Lord Calypse bought a tremendous number of gifts for you. You must have been busy opening presents all day long, correct?¡± Ruth told her bitingly and Max furrowed her brows at his words. ¡°No! The work that I had in the ca-castle kept me o-upied¡­it was more than I tho-thought!¡± Max tried to exin to him. Certainly, it was true that she did spend quite a bit of time opening gifts, but Max was obstinate of mentioning that. Ruth however kept on ring at her with his sunken eyes full of dismay. Max did not want to show in front of the servants how flustered and pitiful she was because of this man. With his high-handed attitude, he always made her feel like a bad child being scolded by their teacher. ¡°Of course, you must have much work to do. However, as the Lady, you have to prioritize the safety of the house above all else. What could be more important than setting up the magical equipment defenses around the castle wall to keep out intruders? The only person who can help me is you Lady Calypse since you are proficient at math.¡± Ruth whispered to her. Max squinted her eyes at the implication of his words. She would have bet her life that the wizard did not think she was talented at math and he was only nitpicking on her. ¡°Of course, sa-safety is im-important. But¡­it is no less im-important to pre-prepare for the wi-winter. As soon as I¡¯m fi-finished with my work¡­¡± Max began to reason out but Ruth spoke again. ¡°To Lord Calypse, the safety of his residents is more important than anything else. As his wife, if you help me finish the task quickly, the lord will also feel more at ease.¡± Ruth snapped at her. Ruth¡¯s words were testing Max¡¯ patience but it also piqued her interest. ¡°Re-really? Do you re-really think that?¡± Max looked up to the wizard in curiosity. ¡°Absolutely.¡± Ruth told her, his voice was full of confidence. Max was so consumed with the thought that Riftan would consider her a capable person if she did manage to protect his people, that she did not detect Ruth¡¯s coercive way of speaking towards her. She secretly nced at the servants, who were pretending to work and enjoying eavesdropping on their conversation and let out an unavoidably lengthy sigh. ¡°Al-alright. I will make he-helping you my full pri-priority. Are you sa-satisfied n-now?¡± Max told Ruth. ¡°It would be more satisfying if you could lend me your hand immediately.¡± He replied. Max could see that his lean face was weary from exhaustion. ¡°There is a mountain of forms that must be organized. Originally, there are supposed to be two or three assistants to take care of this, so it¡¯s too much for me to do alone.¡± He told her as they began to walk towards the kitchen once more. ¡°O-okay, I u-understand. For now, you should eat.¡± Max answered as she led him to a table and asked a kitchen maid for food to be served. ¡°This is enough.¡± Ruth said dismissively, waving his hand at the kitchen maid, implying that thetter did not have to do Max¡¯ bidding. He instead picked up a piece of bread that was ced on the table and had juste out of the oven and took a ratherrge bite from it. He also walked over to a sack ced in the corner of the kitchen and took out one apple from it, and then deposited it into the pocket of his robe. He turned back to face Max, as if telling her to follow him while he chewed on his bread and Max gave him a nod. When Ruth began to leave, Max told the maid to find her in the library if there was any urgent business for her to attend to. After doing this, she followed Ruth¡¯s footsteps and left the kitchen area. Chapter 91: Lessons on Defensive Sorcery (2) Chapter 91 ¨C Lessons on Defensive Sorcery (2) Ruth¡¯s previous remark that there was a mountain of work to finish was no exaggeration. Max opened her mouth as she stared at the library that had now be a mess in barely more than two days. Precious ancient texts were strewn about carelessly on top of one another; the desk was crowded with stacks of clutter and parchments. Even on the floor, there was a clothrge enough to seem like a nket. It looked as if a war had taken ce there. She lowered her head to look down at the cloth. There were drawings of detailed,plex patterns covering every corner. It must have taken at least five bottles of ink to cover those areas. Max stared at empty bottles of ink as it rolled by their feet and sighed. ¡°For what re-reason did you leave the to-tower ande to the li-library¡­?¡± She asked, looking at the mess Ruth created in the library. ¡°My tower doesn¡¯t have much space to work. Even with that, Lord Calypse threatened to take it away if I don¡¯tplete these magical equipment defenses within a week.¡± Ruth reasoned out. Max squinted her eyes and recalled the enormous tower within the castle¡¯s back garden. What in the world could cause for there to be no space left? That tower was enormous. Could Ruth also not have a ce to sleep, so did it also mean he has slept on the library floors for some time now? There is no way that¡¯s true¡­right? Max told herself. She could not tell if Ruth was displeased or not with his current living arrangements as he put down the apple¡¯s core on one side of the desk and pulled out a chair. Max begrudgingly pulled out the opposite chair and sat on it. It seemed like he did not mind living in that mess. ¡°The task I¡¯m giving you, madam, is simple. I would like you to use these tools to re-draw the shapes that are drawn here in detail. I will let you know how to use it. It will be easy to use once you know how to calcte.¡± Ruth told her. He thenid out six t wooden boards of various shapes before her. Max sped those pieces and looked down at the dreadfullyplicated figures on the parchment. There were many simr drawings of figures and those were stacked on top of the desk. ¡°Why are there so ma-many of these?¡± Max asked Ruth. ¡°This is the design of the magical equipment.¡± Ruth replied. ¡°Ma-magical e-equipment¡­it¡¯s this a-absurdly huge thing?¡± Max eximed as she pointed at those parchments with varying symbols. ¡°It depends on the type you need it for, but the magical item I¡¯m trying to produce is about the size of the pumpkin. These designs are the magical blueprints that go into the equipment. Thisplex and extensive sorcery involves borateyers uponyers ovepping and being ced inside a material with magical power to be a magical tool.¡± Ruth exined to her. ¡°So-sorcery¡­?¡± Max asked again as she looked closely at the figure with a curious nce. Circles, triangles, squares, and spirals were intertwined intricately over yellow parchment. She realized when Ruth requested her help that the task of producing magical tools must have required some intricate calctions, but it seemed that the forms he needed were more borate than she thought. ¡°The bnce of magical power flowing within the natural world¡­in other words, mana. Now, assuming the amount of mana is 10, shall this device amplify the mana by 100 or, maybe, 1000? All magic consists of this form. The capability of the wizard is determined by how efficiently he or she can amplify mana to create the desired oue.¡± Ruth exined. Max tilted her head at his cid answer, she was still confused. ¡°But¡­wi-wizards can just use ma-magic right a-away and don¡¯t have to draw pi-pictures like this, do they? Ruth, you have also per-performed ma-magic by only re-reciting spells¡­¡± Max reasoned out, and Ruth gave her a sigh. ¡°To some degree, magic can be done as many times as we like by drawing the form in the mind and memorizing the starter. But that is limited to general magic that is quite simple. High-level spells take hours of preparation.¡± ¡°Then, what you are ma-making now¡­must be great, high-le-level ma-magic.¡± Max eximed and the wizard looked down at the pile of parchment before him before giving her a smile and nodded. ¡°The Noum Shield is a defense sorcery of earthly properties. Like the previous time, if an intruder tries an offensive spell, the shield senses the mana and creates a powerful barrier with a roughly 20 Kvets radius (approximately 6 meters). If we could instill the spell within the magical equipment and ce it in front of the castle gate, we would be able to withstand many of the previous fire-based attacks.¡± Ruth added and Max stared at the parchments in amazement. ¡°That¡¯s¡­re-reassuring.¡± Max suddenly felt her interest surge. She had previously only seen healing magic done by priests and defense magic used by Ruth. But she had never encountered this type of magic before. She had heard the remarkable feats of wizards written down in stories, but had never known the methods that they used to be capable of performing such tasks. ¡°This¡­if you canplete the dra-drawing of this spell, can you do ma-magic?¡± Max asked Ruth earnestly. ¡°If you do not understand the underlying principles, even if you were to draw them one hundred times, it would be of no use. We must be able to control the mana. Magic is not about creating something from nothing. It is a technique for changing form: transforming something that already exists in this world into another. Spells will never work unless a certain amount of mana is injected.¡± Ruth told her ¡°But¡­e-even or-ordinary pe-people who don¡¯t know how to ha-handle ma-mana can use ma-magical tools, you know?¡± Max pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s because of this holy stone.¡± Ruth eximed and showed her the stone. Chapter 92: Unexpected Request (1) Chapter 92 ¨C Unexpected Request (1) Ruth scavenged through the messy wooden desk, casting the books and papers aside until he finally found the stone emitting a red light and showed it to Max. ¡°It¡¯s a stone with a certain amount of magic. If you put this stone inside the magic tools, even people without magic can operate and harness the magical properties and use it as much as possible. It¡¯s like the fuel for magic tools.¡± Ruth told Max as he gave her the stone to observe it. Max held the palm-sized gemstone in her hands and looked into it closely. It was mysteriously red and ssy as if she was staring into water. It felt strange to her touch. Max¡¯ heart pounded in a way she had never felt before. It was like she was seeing a glimpse of another mysterious world. ¡°Come on, if you have satisfied your curiosity, shall we start working now?¡± Ruth asked Max, his voice effectively pulled her out of her mild trance. ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry, I will be taken away from the tower by Lord Calypse.¡± Ruth added sarcastically and Max gave him a nod. Ruth pushed the book into one ce to create more space for them to work with while sheid the stone down on the table and listened carefully to his exnation as Ruth gave her further instructions. The wizard exined step by step how to draw theplex and difficult shapes to make it easier for her to do her tasks. Max immediately began to understand what she had to do in order to help Ruth. She studied and learned how to calcte from him, and so she was able to get used to the work at an unexpected quick pace. She added and subtracted the numbers step by step, and took the ruler and traced theplex shapes and drew them into their correct sizes and shapes, as she was instructed. Even though it was an incrediblyplicated task for her, she never felt bored doing it, it surprisingly even seemed fun. Ruth, who had been silently writing ancient words on parchment for a long time, raised his eyebrows astonished at the amount of work she had finished. ¡°Your hands are faster than I thought. There¡¯s not much of a mistake in your work.¡± Ruth praised Max, and she squinted her eyes to discern whether the remark was apliment or not. ¡°I can do this kind of work, too.¡± Max said in defense and Ruth nodded at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t doubt that. I meant you were better than I thought.¡± Ruth exined to her. However, despite his reassuring words, Max knew the wizard was making fun of her, and demeaning her abilities as if it was a given that she was ignorant and incapable of the simplest task. Max didn¡¯t feelplimented by him, she knew him too well. Regardless of what he truly thought of her, Max could not care less. She was already relieved that she wasn¡¯t likely to suffer from his nagging of her now that she has proven herself useful to him. ¡°I¡¯m re-relieved to hear it¡¯s he-helpful.¡± Max told the wizard before turning to focus back on her work. With a faint smile to herself, Max continued to organize the piles of parchment. After some time, she felt the heat from the windows. She looked towards the source and saw it was alreadyte into the afternoon. How long have they been working in the library? Max asked herself this as she felt her fingers which were holding the quill pen began aching. Just as she thought of this, the doors to the library burst open. Due to this sudden disturbance, Max stopped what she was doing and turned her head towards the doorway. Her eyes widened when she saw Riftan in a ck tunic and leather dark brown pants walking deeper into the library and heading towards her. She found herself wondering of where Riftan could have been and what he was doing all throughout the day at the sight of his casual attire. The fact that he did not wear any armor on his clothes meant that he had no ns to go out of the castle. Max found herself standing instinctively to greet him. As she stood up from her seat with a wee smile, his cold voice pierced her eardrum sharply. ¡°The servants have been here since early morning. What the hell are you doing?¡± Max looked perplexed at the displeasure on his face; she did not know why he sounded so upset. Riftan began to pace the room and stopped in front of the table and nced at the piles of parchment and books scattered around her. ¡°What the hell are all these things?¡± Riftan asked her sharply and Max slightly winced at his tone. ¡°As you can see, we were making the magic tools as Lord Calypse asked.¡± Ruth answered Riftan. The wizard seemed unconcerned by the domineering attitude of Riftan, thetter¡¯s eyebrows curled fiercely up at the reply. ¡°Why should my wife be where you make magic tools?¡± Riftan asked Ruth. It seemed he was trying hard to control his temper in front of the Wizard. ¡°I asked Madam for help. As I have told you many times, I am pressed for time and could not do it all by myself.¡± Ruth reasoned out. Ruth¡¯s harsh tone made Riftan¡¯s lips curl up in a scowl. He turned over the desk and snarled threateningly at the wizard. ¡°I ask you to do some cleaning, how dare you think of using my wife to help you?¡± Riftan looked like he was ready to kill Ruth on the spot for disrespecting his wife and Max felt a slight panic rise in her chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you for help because I thought she¡¯d be distracted. She¡¯s the only one who¡¯s good at shapes and knows how to read and write, so I asked her for help. I can¡¯t get help from the knights.¡± Ruth replied. The wizard did not seem to think what he did was wrong. ¡°So, you think it¡¯s all right to seek help from the Lord¡¯s wife!¡± Riftan raised his voice louder and his eyes grew even more murderous. Max quickly made her move towards him and stood between them.. ¡°Ri-riftan.. I am o-okay.¡± She told him gently. Riftan cast a fierce look. Her shoulders trembled at the threatening attitude he seemed to be wearing but she couldn¡¯t leave Ruth who helped her in many ways, so Max tried to keep Riftan calm. ¡°It¡¯s not that di-difficult¡­most of all, it¡¯s for the sa-safety of A-anatol. I don¡¯t want the same thing to ha-happen¡­¡±Max began exining but before she could finish Riftan spoke again. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll never let that happen again.¡± Riftan this time spoke to her in a more softer tone. But his face still looked rigid and he seemed reluctant to let this incident pass. Chapter 93: Unexpected Request (2) Chapter 93 ¨C Unexpected Request (2) ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t take the risk to be in danger yourself.¡± Riftan told Max. ¡°Oh, my God! Where the hell is this ce full of danger? Because you¡¯re afraid your wife might be stabbed to death with a quill pen?¡± Ruth told Riftan, his cold sarcasm was clearly apparent. ¡°You often cause explosions and fires! Why are you doing this here when you have the tower in the first ce? What if this room will be caught in fire too!¡± Riftan snapped back. ¡°What we¡¯re making now is a defensive magic tool. There¡¯s no chance of an explosion or a fire! I could swear it on my ancestors. Even if there¡¯s a problem, at best, the library will be safe.¡± Ruth steadily replied. Riftan twisted his lips at distrust at Ruth¡¯s words. The fact that there was no more reason Riftan could give to oppose the wizard seemed to have fueled his irritation. Looking around them, Max carefully pulled the hem of Riftan¡¯s clothes away from the front of the desk. She knew well when to recognize two hunting dogs fighting, she had to keep them apart first. ¡°Don¡¯t be a-angry¡­ Ruth¡­ says it¡¯s safe.¡± Max told Riftan aiming to ease out his irritation. ¡°I¡¯m not angry,¡± Riftan whispered back to her and finally gave her a sigh as if admitting that he had lost. ¡°I¡¯m just worried.¡± ¡°Okay. If you really want to help, help him. But not too much. And Ruth, never think of getting her into a dangerous experiment or you will answer to me.¡± Riftan gave Ruth a meaningful warning as he red at the wizard. ¡°What the hell do you think of me?¡± Ruth answered back in disbelief. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s enough for today. I¡¯ll take her with me, so work hard on your own.¡± Riftan announced and led her toward the door. Ruth rose urgently from his seat as if surprised by Riftan¡¯s abrupt actions. Suddenly, Max felt a tug on her arm and noticed that Riftan had pulled her arm towards him. It was strange that she didn¡¯t feel scared when such a big man was dragging her away in a state of anger. She used to be so scared when he frowned at her. Now she wonders how her perception of him has changed. She felt anxious of course by seeing the surge of displeasure painted on his face, but she also felt at ease knowing that he won¡¯t harm her. ¡°W-where are you going, and without your armor?¡± Max asked Riftan as they were retreating away from the library. ¡°I¡¯m taking a day off. I should have some time to refresh myself.¡± Riftan answered back, stopping on his tracks. Max opened her eyes wide at the unexpected remark from her husband. She sensed that Ruth seemed surprised, too. It was very rare for Riftan Calypse to dere that he would rest. ¡°W-what are you going to do about the disposal of the intruders?¡± Max asked again. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent a messenger of Libadon. I¡¯ll release the prisoners as soon as thepensation arrives. Until then, don¡¯t let them die in a dungeon.¡± ¡°What if Libadon says they won¡¯t send anypensation?¡± Ruth suddenly asked. ¡°That¡¯s when I will cut their throat¡­.¡± Riftan answered. He uttered those hideous words casually as he looked at Max¡¯s face. Then, he waved his hand at Ruth silently if prodding him to speak some more but Ruth did not say a word. ¡°At that time I¡¯ll go and fix it.¡± Riftan dered. ¡°All right. You¡¯ve had a hard time for a while, so take your time today or so.¡± Ruth finally said. Riftan snapped back. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Riftan then led Max to the entrance. Meanwhile, Max gave Ruth a nod over her shoulders and followed Riftan out of the library where bright sunlight was already zing through the windows in the hallway. Riftan nced out of the newly changed windows and then looked back at Max with his eyes shining. ¡°You¡¯ll have to fully dress to go out. It¡¯s sunny, but the wind is quite cold.¡± He told her. ¡°W-where are we go-going?¡± Max asked. Riftan began to beam with excitement.¡±You¡¯ve got your own horse now. You¡¯ll ride on it before it gets colder. I¡¯ll show you a good ce to ride.¡± Max opened her mouth and stared at him nkly. She was surprised and pleased that he was trying to spend time with her outside their bedroom. ¡°A-are you not t-tired? Would you¡¯d r-rather take a r-rest in the ro-room..¡± Max began to protest but was cut off. ¡°I¡¯m not an old man, Maxi. I¡¯m not that frail to be always needing some bed rest. If I had to spend some time in the bedroom¡­.¡± Riftan did not continue what he was going to say. Max held her breath in seeing the heat that was glimmering in Riftan¡¯s ck pupils. At a nce she sensed what the intense gaze he had given her meant. His face glowed as if it had been caught in fire in a sh. He smiled lightly as he hugged her, his head bowed down towards her fluidly. ¡°It¡¯s very tempting, but I¡¯m going out into the fields today. I¡¯d like to take you and stroll through mynd.¡± He told her instead. They stopped by their room to change into some riding apparel, and Max then followed Riftan into the stable. With the help of the stableman, Riftan took out the beautiful white steed that had be her own since yesterday. Max¡¯s horse was followed by Riftan¡¯s own giant warhorse. On her way to Anatol, she at once recognized that the horse was carried by Riftan. Riftan stroked the horse¡¯s neck with an affectionate touch. ¡°You¡¯ve been on this one, haven¡¯t you? It¡¯s Talon. It¡¯s perfect except for its nasty temper.¡± He told Max. Max inquisitively asked, ¡°Do you like that horse?¡± ¡°I like it. My dream was to have my own horse ever since I was ten. And this is the best horse I¡¯ve ever had.¡± When Riftan rubbed his face against Talon¡¯s nose, a sudden sharp jealousy shot up inside of Max. Max was embarrassed by herself and turned away. ording to the teachings of the Church, nothing was as ugly as a jealous woman. But now she was envious of a mere animal, not of any other woman. ¡°Did you give this horse a name?¡± Riftan asked her, as he came closer towards her back. Trying to get her feelings together. She hurriedly straightened her face and shook her head. ¡°N-not yet.¡± She answered. ¡°Well, you have to make one. You have to call its name often for it to be able to follow you nicely,¡± Riftan informed her. ¡°W-what name w-would you like?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your horse, so you have to name it.¡± After much thought, Max spat out a word that came to her mind. ¡°Re-rem¡­.¡± Chapter 94: A Veiled Past (1) Chapter 94 ¨C A Veiled Past (1) Riftan chuckled, running a hand across his locks. ¡°My wifecks imagination. Just because it¡¯s white, it¡¯s Rem?¡± ¡°Re¡­ The name Rem¡­ Hey,¡± Max faintly flushed as she defended her choice, ¡°I like it.¡± She didn¡¯t bother to mention that he was named after the knights he led. A momentter, the horseman saddled her on the steed¡¯s back, and she sat on Rem¡¯s back with Riftan¡¯s help. She wasn¡¯t ustomed to horseback riding yet, so her body instinctively stiffened at her feet far from the earth. She strained her arms, clutching the reins tightly. On the other hand, he was a natural. ¡°You don¡¯t ride a horse often, do you?¡± He spoke conclusively, ncing at her clumsy posture. Though embarrassed, Max nodded her head timidly. ¡°I di-idn¡¯t ride a ho-horse that o-often. I didn¡¯t ha-have much wo-work to do. Well, I¡¯ve a-always been in-inside Croix Ca-Castle.¡± ¡°I know that. It¡¯s quite a famous story. The first daughter of the Duke of Croix was weak and extremely delicate, so she was reluctant to appear before the public.¡± Max had an anxious look at the strangeness of his voice. ¡°Well, I-I didn¡¯t know tha-that rumor was go-going around.¡± ¡°The Duke of Croix is one of the ten most influential people in the West. It¡¯s perfectly natural for people to be interested in his daughter. Besides, you didn¡¯t show up on the outside at all unlike your sister, did you? No wonder you piqued the people¡¯s interest. There was even a knight who sneaked into the Croix Castle because he couldn¡¯t ovee his curiosity about you.¡± It was the first time she heard such a thing. Max immediately dodged his curious gaze. What did Riftan think of her after hearing the rumor? Would he have imagined ady with a weak body, as delicate as jewels? She was obviously short and thin, but she didn¡¯t have any charm. It was true that she was frail and timid, but she also knew that her personality wasn¡¯t so lovely. She snapped out of her thoughts, speaking in a bright tone to hide her feelings of inferiority. ¡°We-well, the knight mu-must have been di-disappointed.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Riftan, who was dragging his horse slowly towards the rear gate, looked back at her and frowned. With a tight grip on the reins, Max replied with a nk look. ¡°Oh, only be-because he went through lengths, only to see¡­ she-she was an ordinary wo-woman.¡± The tip of her ears flushed red as she spoke. She believed her appearance was in, but she didn¡¯t want to be so demeaning in front of her husband. Even pretending to be an ordinary beauty felt like a shameless remark. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You¡¯re lovely enough.¡± As he slowed the horse down, he approached her. Max thought he was overreaching, and onlyughed awkwardly. ¡°Oh, do-don¡¯t do that. Tha-thank you for telling me.¡± Then he frowned as if he was dissatisfied. ¡°I¡¯m an honest fellow. If you had a disappointing appearance, I wouldn¡¯t have reacted so enthusiastically in the bedroom. Have you forgotten that I let you sleep wellst night?¡± Max was literally crimson red from head to toe. Her lips were frozen, wondering what to answer. Riftan lifted himself off the horse and grabbed her chin, staring into her orbs intently, which made her heart thump loudly. ¡°I guess it was stupid to ask you to do horseback riding. Would you like to go to the bedroom now?¡± She shook her head stiff enough to produce a creaking sound. He made a vague expression, which was hard to tell whether he was smiling or frowning, and immediately stood up straight. ¡°Then hurry up. We can¡¯t stay here any longer if we want to leave the castle.¡± Max soothed her pounding heart and managed to chase after him. They walked silently along the narrow forest path behind the gate. The world was still as if it had fallen into a deep sleep. All she could hear was the sound of branches swaying in the wind, the rustling of fallen leaves, and the cries of birds from the distant sky. Max stared nkly at the image of the Riftan in a peaceful silence. He moved naturally and gracefully, as if he was one with a horse. On the other hand, Max leaned back and held the reins like a lifeline so as not to fall off Rem¡¯s back. Riftan, who turned his head to make sure she was following well, smiled bitterly at the sight. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize my wife was such a terrible rider.¡± The jeers from the front heated her cheeks. ¡°I to-told you¡­ yo-you insisted I ride with yo-you,¡± she replied back a bit defensively. Riftan chuckled, then instructed her. ¡°Try to rx your shoulders. When you¡¯re nervous, the horse can feel you jittery too.¡± Max breathed out long, attempting to rx her shoulders. However, every time the horse moved, her hips jolted up and down, causing her to lose her posture. Riftan, who was observing the scene closely, brought his horse closer and advised her with a serious face. ¡°You rx your upper body and tighten your thighs matching the movement of the horse. Like when you sat on myp¡­¡± Chapter 95: A Veiled Past (2) Chapter 95 ¨C A Veiled Past (2) ¡°Ri-riftan!¡± She cut him off with a surprised exim. ¡°Hey, yo-you, you ¨C the horse, you can¡¯t be vulgar!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Riftanughed cheekily, ¡°There¡¯s nobody here.¡± ¡°Well, still¡­ it¡¯s not appropriate!¡± At the sight of her blushing face, Riftan merely chuckled before bursting into unrestrainedughter. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re so ashamed of. On the bed, that¡¯s how you-¡± ¡°Ri-Riftan!¡± Max raised her arm to shut his mouth. But before she could reach him, she began to lose her bnce, almost falling down from the horse. Riftan quickly stretched out his strong arms to help her regain her posture. ¡°All right, all right. Calm down,¡± he cajoled her, the corners of his lips twitching at the repressedughter. Max replied with an indignant stare at his shameless actions. But Riftan merely grinned and leaned down to press a chaste kiss on her forehead, making her almost stumble a second time from her horse. Riftan finally bursted intoughter as he grabbed her back again. ¡°This¡­ I might have to teach you how to properly sit on a horse again.¡± ¡°Just go on a-ahead¡­ I wo-would be able to ride be-better.¡± His smile deepened at her sullen words. Despite Max trying to maintain a dignified attitude in front of him, she found it difficult to remain angry at a yful Riftan ¨C a sight that was rare for her to see. And the truth was, every time she heard Riftan¡¯s carefreeughter, her heart erratically pounded against her chest. Together with her flushed cheeks, she found even breathing aborious task. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll check if you¡¯re right.¡± Riftan teasingly epted it and drove his horse forward. He had perfect control over the horse, as if the mane¡¯s vigorous strength was akin to his long, muscr legs. All throughout the ride, Max noticed that he was keeping up a manageable pace to make it easier for her to catch up to him. On their way back to Anatol, they grazed the meadows like a gentle, passing wind. This trifling consideration warmed her heart for no one had ever cared about her as such. The man before her seemed genuine seeing her as a lovelydy and a satisfying wife. ¡°You don¡¯t really enjoy riding horses, but do you like animals?¡± Riftan suddenly threw a question out of the blue. Max blinked her eyes at him owlishly. ¡°I-I like them. Ho-how did you know?¡± ¡°There was a time I saw you sitting in the garden when I visited Croix Castle. You were petting a cat on yourp.¡± Max was stunned. Never had she thought anyone would have been observing her. She was pondering the time when Rifan saw her when thetter continued to speak in a calm tone. ¡°It seemed to be having a good time rolling around. It was a gentle and peaceful sight, so I can still remember it even to this time.¡± ¡°Oh, maybe¡­ It was the stray cat tha-that had been raised in the ki-kitchen to hunt rats. Bu-but it¡¯s hunting skills were po-poor, so he wasn¡¯t fe-fed much. I-I used to feed them secretly.¡± ¡°So as thanks he would do all sorts of tricks on yourp.¡± A thoughtful look settled on his face as he nced over his shoulders. ¡°And what else do you like?¡± When she asked him for the barrage of questions, Riftan smiled bitterly, ¡°As I said before, everything about you is mysterious. You rarely talk about yourself.¡± There was a pause, before he spoke in a soft tone, ¡°Why are you so reluctant to reveal things about yourself?¡± The question made Max¡¯s heart plummet down. It only urred to her that he had been asking questions because he truly was ignorant of who she is. Was he able to ask such things because she looked like ady who had no problems to him? Max was suddenly struck with confusion. Her father¡¯s contemptuous attitude towards her and this man¡¯s treatment of her were so vastly different that she didn¡¯t understand how to proceed with the situation. ¡°Re-revealing¡­ I-I have never been reluctant.¡± ¡°All right¡­¡± He thenunched into another series of questions, ¡°Then tell me what you like, what you hate, what you think about.¡± Max suddenly felt grumpy. ¡°Yo-you don¡¯t even tell me fi-first. E-even to everyone, you¡­ are not talkative.¡± ¡°At least I speak more than you do.¡± A frown etched across his forehead as he tried to remember he and Max¡¯s conversations with other people. Ultimately, he shrugged and said, ¡°Well, all right. Try to show yourself more,¡± he eded. ¡°As for me, I like horses, alcohol, and greasy food¡­ Actually, I like anything that fills my stomach and stings my tongue.¡± He continued to list as he moved the dropping branches that blocked their way. ¡°What else is there¡­ Gold and jewels, honor, powerful weapons¡­ The normal ¨C I like what most men like.¡± Max shifted the horse¡¯s gait as she thought of a query, ¡°Wha-what do you hate?¡± ¡°Lies,¡± he answered back without hesitation. ¡°And the ipetent. I¡¯ve seen too many proud people who are undeserving. And more humans cheating on other people. I¡¯m sick of them.¡± Max felt her heart sink. Even though it wasn¡¯t meant for her, her whole body froze in trepidation. Chapter 96: Your Likes and Dislikes (1) Chapter 96 ¨C Your Likes and Dislikes (1) ¡°Well then, what about you?¡± Riftan questioned lightly, without noticing her distress. Max quickly concealed her emotions by trying to appear nonchnt. ¡°I just¡­like the sorts of things that o-other pe-people al-also like,¡± she answered simply. ¡°That¡¯s not fair. I want a proper answer.¡± Riftan asked her. At his prodding tone Max thought some more in order to borate on her words to give Riftan a satisfying answer. After making up her mind on what to say, Max opened her mouth again. ¡°As I said be-before¡­I like a-animals. Dogs, cats, ho-horses¡­I like chicks and ra-rabbits too.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I like re-reading books. When I was at Ca-castle Croix, I was a-always in the li-library.¡± Max announced and Riftan gave her a nod. ¡°Indeed, the butler told me that you spend the best part of your time in the library.¡± Riftan told her and Max smiled faintly at him. ¡°That¡¯s right. There are ma-many rare and pre-precious books in the li-library at Ca-castle Ca-calypse. Al-although, Ruth clings on-onto most of them¡­¡± Max added thest phrase as if it was an afterthought. Riftan nced back at her in an almost surprised manner, he lowered his head towards him and asked in a rather conspiratorial tone, ¡°Shall I kick him out of the library?¡± ¡°If you do that, he won¡¯t let me for-forget it for the rest of my life.¡± Max warned him in a slight panic. Riftan made an uncertain expression at her quick protest. He gave her a small frown and stared into her eyes before finally speaking his mind. ¡°It seems like the two of you are bing rather close.¡± Riftan said in a low voice and Max sensed that even though he tried to mask it, the former felt uneasy about her spending time with Ruth. ¡°When we were de-decorating the ca-castle¡­he gave me lots of ad-advice. He¡¯s fu-fussy and he nags a lot¡­but he seems like a good per-person.¡± Max exined but somehow it seemed like her words put him in a bad mood instead offorting him. Riftan remained silent for a while, as if he was trying to choose his words, when he seemed calm enough to speak once again he turned to face Max, and said, ¡°That¡¯s the right. He¡¯s fussy and has too much to say, but he¡¯s an honest man.¡± Honest. Max realized he said it as though there was nothing more important than trust. ¡°And things you hate?¡± Riftan opened his mouth again after riding quietly for a while, lost in thought. ¡°You have to answer that too, for it to be fair.¡± Lashings, yelling, cursing and beatings came to her mind ¨C but she could not give him such an honest reply. Yet, she did not want to lie to him either. Riftan hated lies more than anything. She hesitated and chose an honest answer to give him. ¡°My-myself.¡± Riftan blinked at her in confusion as though he did not understand why she said that. She said it lightly, like it was nothing much. ¡°I¡­I hate my-myself.¡± Max repeated this time with more conviction. Just as she said this, the path they were on ended and a wide meadow appeared before them, they had finally arrived. Before he could press her further to exin what she had meant, she galloped off over the hill, leaving Riftan to stare at her retreating figure. Contrary to her expectations, she found that she was able to fully enjoy horse riding. She felt incredible at running freely over the expansive hills without any restrictions. There wasn¡¯t any other ce where shs felt morefortable and enjoyable than travelling through winding mountain paths. She galloped across the grasnds, which slightly glowed golden caused by the warm winter sunlight. She rode freely as if nothing was holding her back. Max noticed that her posture improved little by little as she rode, and by the time he suggested that they should rest a little on the top of the hill, she was already able to ride with a straight back without even thinking about it. ¡°I brought some wine.¡± Riftan told her as he jumped off his horse and led them underneath the big tree at the top of the hill and helped her to dismount her own. ¡°You¡¯ve warmed up. I can feel your heart thumping as fast as a hummingbird¡¯s,¡± he said as he ced his hands on her sides and lifted her off easily. Max evened out her breathing, rough from the horse riding, and wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead. Just as he had said, her heart was pounding in her ears. ¡°It re-really¡­feels like I have a drum be-beating in-inside me.¡± She told him as she touched her chest. She could feel the light vibration from there. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty analogy.¡± Riftan told her before swooping down to press his lips to her blushing cheek and finally set her down on the ground. Riftan then proceeded to spread his cloak out on the grass under the tree and sat on it. Max dropped down next to him. The cold breeze quickly cooled their hot bodies. Max noticed the outline of a town at the bottom of the hill. She adjusted her cloak as she stared at the scenery below them. The wind smoothed down the golden fields as it swept over them in apparent hurry. ¡°It¡¯s such a be-beautiful ce.¡± Max whispered as she basked in the warm ambiance around them. ¡°It looks better in the spring. The fields are green and brimming with wild flowers then.¡± Riftan told her with a smile. She felt her chest swell with anticipation at his talks of spring. Anticipation¡­ She could never have imagined that the day in her life woulde where she would feel anticipation and yearning for something. Everything was new, and joyful, and a little frightening too. ¡°Come here. You¡¯ll get cold quickly since you sweated.¡± Riftan called for her as he leaned his back against the thick tree trunk, and pulled her close to share his coat. Max sipped from the small bottle of wine while sitting slightly on hisp. Unlike when he was teasing her, she didn¡¯t feel awkward or embarrassed to be so close to him now. Being wrapped up in his strong arms felt so natural. ¡°Give me some too.¡± Riftan whispered to her as he sped his hands around her waist and leaned his head over her shoulder to take a sip. Max ced the wine bottle on his lips and tilted it carefully so it won¡¯t spill. He took a few gulps and removed his lips when he was done. He then stared into her eyes intently. ¡°Why do you hate yourself?¡± Riftan asked. It seemed that Riftan had no intention of lightly skipping over what she had said earlier. Max averted her eyes in embarrassment for what she told him, he did not want him to stare at her in pity. Surely it was obvious that she had only one answer: she sounded like the stupidest person in the world when she spoke. In some ways, the fact that he kept avoiding the subject was a little funny. Max asked nonchntly, ¡°Have you¡­ne-never had a time when you ha-hated your-yourself, Ri-Riftan?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had plenty.¡± Chapter 97: Your Likes and Dislikes (2) Chapter 97 ¨C Your Likes and Dislikes (2) Riftan rxed his shoulders as though his nerves had been soothed a little and pressed his lips to her forehead. It seemed that he had been mulling over her hastily thrown-out words the whole time they had been riding and finally he was allowed to talk about it with her. ¡°But I¡¯ve never hated myself so much that it was my first answer when someone asked me about my dislikes.¡± Riftan told her simply and Max sighed. ¡°Well, that¡­ That¡¯s be-because there¡¯s no-nothing a-about you that you could hate that much, is there?¡± He looked amused at her mumbled words. ¡°Does it appear so?¡± He asked her in a teasing manner and Max eyed him with slightly furrowed brows. ¡°You your-yourself¡­know it well, do you not?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. You¡¯ll have to let me know.¡± She peered up at him as though asking if he was serious about what he said. Nheless Max decided to humor him and began listing out his attributes. ¡°You¡­you¡¯re strong. You¡¯re the best knight in the world, and you¡¯re tall and clever¡­¡± Max wasn¡¯t able to continue when Riftan gave her a light chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s my first time hearing someone call me clever. Although I¡¯ve heard that I¡¯m slow-witted many times¡­¡± Riftan teased her and Max gave him a frown. Although his way of speaking was unrefined and he wasn¡¯t exactly a master of decorum, Riftan was a far cry from being slow-witted. He had a sharp gaze and his observational skills were asionally very insightful. Sometimes she even felt like he saw all the way through to her soul. ¡°A slow wi-witted per-person¡­could ne-never be s-so well re-respected.¡± She told him. Riftan smiled cynically, as though he was unable to peacefully agree with her. Resting his head back against the tree trunk, he asked her disinterestedly, ¡°What else?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lo-loyal, you have le-leadership¡­and¡­you¡¯re hand-handsome.¡± Max answered shyly. She could feel her cheeks warming up. ¡°You think I¡¯m handsome?¡± Riftan once again teased her and she gave him a shrug. ¡°¡­You al-already knew that.¡± ¡°How would I know what you think about my appearance?¡± He told her and Max was taken aback and blinked at him in confusion. ¡°I have eyes too, Rif-riftan¡­ My sense of be-beauty is the same as o-other pe-people¡¯s.¡± ¡°Every time I visited Castle Croix, you quivered like you were facing a hideous ogre,¡± Riftan said teasingly. ¡°Those weren¡¯t the eyes of someone looking at a charming young man at all. You would probably have looked at even a goblin¡¯s wrinkly face more adoringly.¡± He added and Max gave him a look of disbelief. ¡°I¡­I¡¯ve ne-never seen a gob-goblin be-before.¡± She answered. ¡°That¡¯s not the point here.¡± Riftan drew her chin up towards him to make her look at him. ¡°I¡¯m saying that if I even came close to you, you acted like you were going to faint.¡± Max was flustered by his interrogating tone. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought he might care about her attitude towards him or what she thought of him. Truth be told, up until their wedding, she had thought he was unaware of her existence altogether. ¡°I¡­ You were sca-scary. Since your phy-physique is so huge and your ex-expression was so i-icy¡­ You looked like some-someone whose tem-temper might re at a-anything, at a-anytime.¡± Max admitted. Riftan didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. Max squirmed ufortably against his chest. Finally he opened his mouth. ¡°Am I still scary?¡± Max shook her head slowly. Riftan, who had been staring at her face vacantly, suddenly tilted his head and pressed his lips against hers. Different to the surprise kisses he teased her with, this kiss was passionate. She felt his soft tongue pushing into her mouth and she moaned softly at his touch. He cupped the back of her neck and stroked her wind-ruffled hair gently with his fingers and his lips suckling on her delicate mouth. A delicious shiver shot down her spine and Max felt her nipples stiffened. When he cupped her breasts with his fingers and gently massaged them, Max felt fireworks explode in her lower stomach. ¡°Rif-riftan¡­ w-we can¡¯t do this out-outside.¡± Max told her as she broke free from his kiss. ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s only us here. Even if someone doese, I¡¯ll notice it right away.¡± He told her. Feeling the heat radiating from his body, she shuddered. Because Riftan¡¯s face was so calm andposed, she hadn¡¯t noticed yet how hard he already was as they kissed. He pulled her closer towards him and settled herp against his lower body and pushed up the skirt of her dress. Max looked up at him embarrassedly. Riftan¡¯s eyes were smouldering like pitch-ck coals towards her. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll never hurt you.¡± He whispered to her. His words resonated deep in her heart. Max gazed up at his intense expression without breathing. He touched his forehead to hers, brushing the tips of their noses together and drew her lips into his mouth again. He slipped his long fingers under her skirt and started to caress the insides of her legs softly. Max clutched at his silky hair and moaned. This person won¡¯t hurt me. She clung desperately to those words. ¡°You smell like winter.¡± Riftan told her and he groaned weakly and buried his face in her shoulder. Max gulped down a deep breath. The smell of the dry and pleasantly biting winter breeze wasing from him, too. Max¡¯s lungs were filled with the mingled smells of musky tree bark, of horses and the subtle scent of sweat. ¡°D*mmit, I want to kiss every inch of you. But if I strip off your clothes here, you could get sick.¡± Riftanined as he stroked her over her clothes, exciting her. Max could not even feel the cold for the fire spreading throughout her entire body was now enveloping her, but she did not point it out to him. She wasn¡¯t bold enough toy down out in the open on top of a hill without a strip of clothing on. In truth, doing something like this at all was beyond her. But she found herself utterly unable to pull away from him. Riftan sucked and nipped at the base of her throat as he urgently undid his trousers. Still wrapped up in his coat, she pulled her skirt up to bunch around her waist. He pushed aside her underwear. And then she felt him ease into her slowly. At the tight feeling of him reaching the deepest part of her and their joined bodies, Max let out a rough moan. Riftanfortingly patted her behind and showered kisses over her neck and ears. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Max. I won¡¯t hurt you. Never again.¡± Riftan whispered to her ear. Max couldn¡¯t even remember when he might have hurt her. She couldn¡¯t even remember being afraid of him and avoiding him. She felt as though Riftan Calypse had always been a part of her. She threw her arms around his neck desperately as though she were drowning and he was the only thing keeping her afloat. He grasped her hips to deepen their union. Their closely intertwined bodies pped against each other and the sound of the wind passing by got further and further away. She moved her body like she was riding a horse, just as he had taught her earlier. She eagerly tightened around his manhood as he prated her all the way to the base before reluctantly letting him go, only to tighten up again as though trying to pull him deeper. Her heart pounded with desperate passion. As she melted into his hot kisses, Max let herself sink into a world of bliss. Chapter 98: Surprising Sides of Him (1) Chapter 98 ¨C Surprising Sides of Him (1) The chilly, harsh wind ruffled her hair as scenes after scenes galloped by, but Max was oblivious to it all. Nestled cozily in Riftan¡¯s embrace, and basking in the afterglow of their intense alfresco love-making, she felt secure. A novel feeling, from the man she once feared to even breathe the same air with. Upon reaching the castle, Riftan embraced the utterly exhausted girl closely and brought her to the room. He carefully washed her with warm water, gently changed her clothes, even affectionately fed her a nice, warm meal. Then, as if he were putting a child to slumber, shey on his chest and tried to sleep. It was seemingly an unusual behavior for a brusque man like Riftan. For it was certainly not a one-time urrence. Whenever he was with her, he continued these acts as though he was her babysitter. Every day he would feed her meals directly, insist on bathing together and even going so far asing in early in the morning, taking theb from Rudis, andbing her hair. She was finding it all a little embarrassing now. She had never experienced such attention, not even as a child. Moreover, this was contrary to the idea of marriage that she was familiarized with. Cold manners, a polite indifference, and marital obligation¡­ ording to the ideology this was what existed between married couples. There was ample ¡°walking¡± evidence to corroborate the belief too. Neither had she seen nor heard of a husband that doted on his wife as such, at least not as enthusiastically. This was the knowledge fed to her growing up ¨C Riftan¡¯s attitude deviated from that she was taught of a ¡®married man¡¯. Perhaps she was only ignorant? After all, the circumstances surrounding her life at Croix castle had confined her to within its walls. At most, she could visit the barracks at the temple. But even that was banned once she turned fourteen and hence a life of istion it was. All her knowledge of marriage came from the mouths of those who visited Croix Castle. Most came to see her somewhat expressionless, cold-smiling sister, Rosetta, or her father. there was no one who was interested in her ¨C she even doubted if they were aware of her existence. When shepared the then to the now, Max was engulfed with confusion. Perhaps the world she knew was wrong? Was her marriage normal? Was this how a husband ought to be? Although she was gued with questions, she knew not where to find her answers. ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly dexterous.¡± Ruth¡¯s voice cut Max out of her reverie. He shot her a satisfied smirk while meticulously going over the forme he had arranged. ¡°And you¡¯re much faster than I expected,¡± he added. Was that supposed to be praise? Max smiled bitterly. ¡°I-If it¡¯s just repeating the sa-same thing¡­ it¡¯s na-natural to speed up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to finish up. At this rate, we will be able toplete the spell by tomorrow.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief. While it was exciting for a time, she eventually became bored of the repeated calctions and sketches so much that she even hated looking at the parchment. She rubbed her stiff neck andined. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know ma-magic involved s-so much paperwork. I had tho-thought we would be doing som-something more am-am-amazing.¡± ¡°Magic is an advanced level of learning. It requires sophisticated calctions and research. The only time a wizard can experience the thrill of magic is on the battlefield. Wizards in the World Tower never experience it, even so, they devote their entire lives to designing spells.¡± Max stopped what she was doing and looked at him with wonder. ¡°Ru-Ruth, you are also a wizard f-from the World Tower?¡± ¡°Yes, I used to reside there,¡± Ruth said distastefully. Her eyes widened. The World Tower was an artificial ind built by ancient wizards in the center of the Sea of Ishiria; it was referred to as Nornui. The innocent and isted maiden, Maximillian, did not hear much about it often. Only she knew it was the birthce of sorcerers, a repository of all the knowledge in the world, a non-interventionist ¨C that refrained from interfering in the internal affairs of any country, and an ind of sages that protected the world order¡­ Nornui. But Ruth¡¯s reaction just now referred to it with disgust, as if denying those aplishments. Looking at her befuddlement, he deigned to exin. ¡°Wizards who enter the World Tower are restricted as soon as they are promoted to a higher rank. Instead of being allowed to master all the dangerous and secretive magic Nornui has to offer, they are watched to ensure they do not use their personal power to disturb the world. Senior wizards spend most of their life in the World Tower. Personally, I did not like it, so I escaped.¡± ¡°St-still¡­ ca-can you go back?¡± ¡°No. It was high treason. Even now when I meet wizards from the World Tower, I¡¯m treated as nothing more than a mere criminal.¡± Ruth spoke without qualms as if it were a trivial issue. Max wondered if all wizards were so brazen. ¡°Th-then¡­did you meet Ri-Riftan while wa-wandering after you escaped the Wo-World Tower?¡± ¡°Yes, I met him not long after I became a sword for hire. Lord Calypse was already a well-known figure by then.¡± Max was bing more and more curious, her eyes glistening. ¡°W-why is that?¡± ¡°Is it not obvious? With his stunning good looks, bulky physique unbelievable for a teenager, a courageous heart that always looks straight ahead, he was already famous by the time he was sixteen. Since then, Lord Calypse has been a madman.¡± Chapter 99: Surprising Sides of Him (2) Chapter 99 ¨C Surprising Sides of Him (2) ¡°Ma-ma-madman?¡± Max widened her eyes at his extreme characterization. It seemed excessive. Ruth shook his head restlessly as though such words were not enough to describe him. ¡°He really was fearless. When unarmed, one should not charge at an ogre with only a dagger and especially not something as crazy as cutting clean through a dragon¡¯s skull. He did it all without ever flinching. Even now, when I recall the things that he did from time to time, a chill goes down my spine. On the day I was charged with apanying Lord Calypse, my hair was on edge the entire day.¡± Unconsciously, Max¡¯s jaw dropped. Rather than being awe-inspiring, his words made her break out into a cold sweat. She could not believe that he had been doing such dangerous deeds since he was sixteen. Isn¡¯t sixteen even younger than when her sister, Rosetta¡¯s debut, or even Yurixion, the cheerful knight-in-training? She licked her dry lips and asked with a quivering voice. ¡°D-d-does he still d-do those so-sort of a-acts?¡± ¡°He is still the same when ites to taking care of his body but¡­ he rarely gambles his life like he used to back then. Although he is no longer involved with obstinately questionable actions, he is strong enough to get rid of evil spirits with ease. I have not seen him risk his life in that way for many years, not since the time of dragon suppression.¡± ¡°Dr-dragon suppression¡­ what in the wo-world ha-happened?¡± Ruth sighed heavily at her question. ¡°Lord Calypse has an extremely rare ability to temporarily absorb mana. This allows him to use it as his weapon in the form of his sword. He was not born with this ability. While battling evil spirits, he was covered in their bodily fluids and blood, and his body changed. To cut a long exnation short, Lord Calypse defeated the Red Dragon using this ability. He stood in front of the most powerful magic to exist in the natural world: dragon breath, and cut right through it, absorbing its strength into his sword and finally slicing off the dragon¡¯s head using its own mana.¡± She shuddered at the image of him throwing himself into the mes of a dragon. Ruth was grinding his teeth at the mere recollection. ¡°If there had been only one miscalction, Lord Calypse would have been a handful of ashes. Due to his outrageous actions, it became the most courageous tale on the continent.¡± Max had heard previously about Riftan¡¯s feat against the Red Dragon, but she never knew how reckless he had been. She trembled in fear. Riftan could have died. She could have never gotten the chance to know him this intimately, and that miserable wedding night would have remained the only thing between them. She dreaded the thought. ¡°Oh¡­I did not mean to frighten you.¡± Ruth muttered surprisingly when he saw her pale face. ¡°That was not a story meant to be heard by ady. I have spent too much of my time in thepany of rough men, I guess I¡¯m losing my sensitivity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡­ as-asked you first.¡± She was doubtful that he ever had any sensitivity to start with, but she did not bother to say that. Max turned around and began toplete her assignment quietly without asking any further questions. Her mind was in disarray, fear gripping her heart. He was a knight, she surmised. Eventually, he would throw himself back into danger in due time. Once the winter passed, Riftan would be summoned by King Ruben to lead his fellow knights on an expedition. It was his duty as a knight after all. He might nevere back this time. Riftan may be a powerful knight, but he is not invincible. The possibility left Max breathless. She did not realize how precarious the situation was. That herfortable, happy life could disappear so easily. That Riftan could disappear so easily. ¡°Your mind is elsewhere.¡± The wizard promptly pointed out. He read her condition quickly. He squinted his eyes, looked at his work on his desk, and put down his quill pen. ¡°That¡¯s enough for today.¡± Max meekly rose from her seat and left the library. Today, the new servants arrived. After consulting with Riftan, she had requested the merchant, Aderon, to rmend thirty new servants. As thedy, she had to greet the new hands and select servants to take charge of educating the others. After that, she visited the kitchen to observe its condition. It was still bustling with cooks preparing the daily meals, but it no longer looked like a war had broken out. Preparations for winter were nearlyplete. ¡°The first frost is expected within the next few days.¡± Rodrigo, appearing suddenly behind Max, shivered at the noticeably lowering temperature and firmly secured his overcoat. Max¡¯s face clouded over with worry. ¡°Be-before that, w-we should pro-provide winter clothes to th-the guards,¡± she said. ¡°That is almost finished. Since more servants havee in, we should be able toplete everything before the cold snap hits us.¡± Rodrigo reported. When the winter preparations were over, time in the castle would begin to pass slowly. The hectic period would soon be over. Lastly, she went to each room to check if there was enough firewood, thereon, returning to her room to fill out her journal. Chapter 100: A Knight’s Wife (1) Chapter 100 ¨C A Knight¡¯s Wife (1) Shorter days and longer nights were a characteristic of winter. And if one were engrossed in work, darkness would descend even sooner. Max lit a candle and looked towards the dusky outside. She had been busy the whole day, a little tired too, but she spared no thoughts to herself. As she gazed at the tranquil, even sky, her thoughts ran straight to Riftan. He was busier than anyone else in the castle. Throughout the day, Riftan went around the territory training his soldiers, and when that was done, he circled around the walls to sweep away the monsters and predators who might be hiding. However, his numerous tasks didn¡¯t end at that. From early dawn tote night, he was up to his eyes checking the progress of new buildings in the vige, discussing taxes with collectors, or checking the town for troublemakers. He did so without respite, even so, he never once disyed fatigue. Is he made of iron or something¡­? By and by Max had started to sort of respect Rifatan¡¯s tenacity and admire his capabilities. He never shied away from his responsibilities, no matter how onerous. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t keep up with his life¡ªthey would¡¯ve long sumbed just at the thought of the ordeal let alone seeing it through. As she mulled over her husband¡¯s might, she shook off Ruth¡¯s words from a while ago. Riftan Calypse was blessed with superhuman abilities. He was a brawny brute capable of oveing any challenge thrown at him without even flinching. She had been overthinking, fretting over scenarios that couldn¡¯t possibly happen. With that, she soothed herself, had dinner, and rested. Late in the night, she heard Riftan return to the room. He had decided to go out to fight two dayster. Just by the thought of it, Max quickly lost her peace of mind. Oblivious to her anxiety, he took off his boots and armor and spoke calmly. ¡°The reparation will arrive from Libadon tomorrow. Then we can kick the prisoners straight out of Anatol. The new gates are almostplete¡­ and Ruth said the magic defensive tools would be ready tomorrow. So, it won¡¯t be a problem if I leave the castle for a while.¡± ¡°Wh-where are you go-going to?¡± She moistened her dry lips and barely maintained calm. ¡°I heard that a bunch of goblins have settled over the mountain. I¡¯ll stay for about four or five days and root them out,¡± he said, pointing to one of the high peaks out of the window. Max looked at him anxiously. ¡°I-Isn¡¯t it da-dangerous?¡± Riftan seemed to be dazed by the question. ¡°Hey, are you being worried that I might be hit by goblins?¡± He finished with augh as if it were absurd. ¡°Subduing goblins is annoying, not dangerous. It¡¯s a bit more annoying than hunting rabbits.¡± ¡°I-if they are not very d-dangerous, h-how about le-letting them¡­.?¡± An impatient look suddenly settled on his features. ¡°It¡¯s my duty to protect thisnd. Are you telling me to neglect it now?¡± He said in a hardened tone, making Max unconsciously flinch. Riftan then continued, ¡°Goblins are low-level devils but are very prolific. If not rooted out, they multiply enormously and attack the vendors or mess up hunting grounds. It¡¯s my job to prevent it from happening.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I was¡­ pre-presumptuous.¡± Max apologized immediately. Riftan looked at her stiff face, then held out one arm with a long sigh. Max drew closer and epted his warm hug. He rubbed his nose on her shoulder and wrapped his hand with her thick hair braided into one. ¡°I, too, don¡¯t like sleeping on the cold and dirty floor instead of a warm bed. But I still have to do what I have to do.¡± He gently coaxed her. Max stroked his thick ck hair without a word. It broke her heart to think that he would sleep under the cold and chilly wind. As a knight¡¯s wife does it mean I always have to be prepared for this loneliness? She wondered if the other aristocratic couples had kept a proper distance from each other because they didn¡¯t want to feel such longing for the other. And now, she was afraid he might have gotten too close to her. ?? The next day¡ªand true to his words¡ªa new, huge steel door was erected at the castle gates. So sturdy and impregnable, that even if ogres were to knock with a hammer, it would still not budge. On either side, the magical tools Ruth made were installed. The magical tools that had wrestled the parchment pile over the past few days were in the form of a round disk of ivory, about the size of a pumpkin. Max, who ran out to the gate to see the result, looked at the magical tools installed on the watchtower with awestruck eyes. Several ancientnguages were inscribed on the edge of the disc and the red mana stone that Ruth had shown was right in the middle. ¡°Wha-What is this ma-made of?¡± When she asked, smoothing down the disc surface with her curious fingers, Ruth answered insignificantly. ¡°It¡¯s made of the bone of the Basilisk.¡± Max was startled and instantly took off her hand. ¡°B-bone?¡± she eximed. ¡°The subspecies of dragons, such as Basilisk, Wyverns, Lizard have powerful anti-magic power. Most magical tools are made from the bones of these evil creatures.¡± He narrated in azy tone. She opened her eyes to the slits and looked down at the smooth glossy disc. As she thought it was a bone of evil, it looked eerie. Chapter 101: A Knight’s Wife (2) Chapter 101 ¨C A Knight¡¯s Wife (2) ¡°Bone is just bone. There is no reason to be reluctant.¡± Seeing her expression, Ruth clicked his tongue as if she was pathetic. ¡°When you eat meat, don¡¯t you touch the bones?¡± He continued to jab. ¡°I-it¡¯s di-different.¡± Max grumbled in a sullen voice. Ruth snorted as if it wasn¡¯t worth answering and began to focus on setting up the magical tools. He put it firmly into the stone pir and fixed it with y, then went out of the gate. Max also tried to follow him but was intercepted by Riftan who was giving instructions to the guards. ¡°Where are you going? It is too dangerous outside the gate,¡± he said, a little worried. ¡°B-But Ru-Ruth was¡­.¡± Even before she could finish her sentence, Riftan interrupted her. ¡°He¡¯s a high-level wizard, so I¡¯m not worried. Stay calm, or I¡¯ll send you back to the castle.¡± Hearing the determined voice, Max nodded gently. He ordered the guards to protect her well, then went up the wall and gave orders to Ruth. Right then, a huge me swelled beyond the walls. It flew towards the gate with a tremendous roar. Max screamed in fright. As if responding to the heat of the mes, the earth shook slightly, and soon a huge barrier soared above the ground to block the mes. She was fascinated as she took in the majestic scene. Even the locals who came out to watch were awed and sat down on the ground with their mouths agape. ¡°It¡¯s still noisy.¡± The knight standing beside her whistled lightly. When she noticed the calmness of the knights, she realized that this enormous sight was a routine for them. Only did it dawn on her they must have lived through things that she would never even dream of. ¡°Great! The magical tools are working properly. Open the gates.¡± As Riftan shouted, the heavy iron gate opened and Ruth walked in covered with the dust. ¡°Do you have to do it like this?¡± ¡°It should be known that Anatol is perfectly safe even if I leave the territory,¡± Riftan said as he climbed down the wall. ¡°At this point, no one will attempt to break in.¡± Ruth surmised and went on, ¡°But well, if this newfound protection would reach the ears of many merchants, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be flocking to Anatol¡­ now that¡¯s a good thing.¡± Max realized that the scene that had just happened was not only to test the magical tools but also to reassure the onlookers. Riftan spoke with the knights for a bit beforeing to her side. ¡°Maxi, go back to the castle now.¡± ¡°A-And¡­ you?¡± ¡°I have to take the invaders and to meet the messenger of Libadon. Ruth, Hebaron! Take her to the castle. And get ready to go to the subjugation in advance.¡± Before she could say anything, he flung his cloak and led the knights to somewhere. Max sat on Rem, staring after his retreating figure as it slowly disappeared from her sight. Unbeknownst to her, Hebaron, the giant knight with pale, auburn hair, and also Ruth had apanied her on either side with their horses. ¡°After getting used to a warm bed, he has to crawl into the mountains again.¡± Hebaron said, prompting augh from Ruth. ¡°You alsoined about the castle being boring,¡± Ruth reminded him. ¡°You should sleep in the frost as well,¡± The miffed knight generously offered. ¡°I¡¯ll decline. A delicate and fragile wizard like me could die just by hitting the cold of winter.¡± Ruth insisted shamelessly while the dumbfounded Hebaron onlyughed. ¡°Delicate and fragile? No one amongst the Knights of Remdragon has as thick a nerve as a wizard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only your opinion.¡± Max rolled her eyes and watched their tussle. It was a confusing conversation, it was unclear if they had a good rtionship or a bad one. ¡°Oh, wait a minute! Let¡¯s stop by the market for a while before we go to the castle.¡± When they reached the town square, Ruth halted his horse and spoke. Hebaron looked back at him with a displeased face. ¡°Hey,e outter for your personal business. Now is¡­.¡± He nced at Max, cutting his words halfway. Ruth sighed lightly. ¡°Can you please stop that attitude? Madam Calypse is not a boil that gets infected when touched.¡± ¡°Hey, when I did¡­¡± Hebaron was vexed at the other¡¯s cheekiness. ¡°You¡¯re acting as if she isn¡¯t here even when she is in front of your eyes. Take it easy.¡± Hebaron became visibly embarrassed. Ruth turned the horse towards Max without giving him a chance to argue back. ¡°Today is thest market day. There will be no peddler¡¯s visits for a while. Before that, we need to buy something we need. You should also see how the Anatol market is.¡± Max hesitated and looked at Hebaron. The knight, who was stiffened with an ufortable face, sighed and steered his horse towards the market. She quickly followed them. ¡°Wha-What are you go-going to b-buy?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy herbs and mana stones. I¡¯ve used up almost everything I have.¡± The market was booming despite the cold weather. Merchants with tents lined up and were selling all sorts of things on the board. The skins and bones of beasts, rough-looking fabrics, and crude ornaments. On the other side, they were selling meat, bread, and potatoes, and some were selling grain and acorns in sacks. Daunted by their resonant voices, Max stuck tight in behind Ruth. ¡°Hey, wizard! Go slowly. It¡¯s not easy to escort in such a crowded ce.¡± Hebaronined from behind, but even the loud voice was buried in the mor of the merchants. She nced around nervously. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous like that. It¡¯s very rare that someone suddenly rushes and swings a knife.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not at all re-relieved.¡± ¡°Anatol¡¯s security is quite good. If you act vignt like you are doing now, you¡¯re only asking attention from hooligans.¡± Chapter 102: Belongingness (1) Chapter 102 ¨C Belongingness (1) On the wide board with ck cloth were roots of several umon nts, bottles of unknown powders and thin branches haphazardly piled up. To an untrained eye, who knew not what these were for, it would be nothing more than a heap of trash. Ruth quickly jumped off his horse and diligently scrutinized the items one by one. ¡°Are these all herbs?¡± Hebaron, who had been haggling all the way behind him, also poked his head out as he couldn¡¯t ovee his curiosity. Instead of answering, Ruth called up a man who was trimming the herbs in the corner. ¡°I would like to buy 20 Segals (100 grams) of all kinds, what¡¯s the price?¡± ¡°1 Derham for 10 Segals.¡± A merchant replied with a generous smile on his face. ¡°These are precious herbs of good quality, and the price is pretty high. If you buy all kinds, you have to pay for 40 Derham.¡± ¡°Can I pay for it in Liram?¡± Ruth asked. ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll get the scale.¡± She watched as the merchant carefullyid the roots with dried leaves on a brass scale. Ruth, who had a penchant for carrying misceneous things in a small pocket, took the pocket out and held out four silver coins. The merchant then weighed the silver on the scale. Looking at the goings-on, Max whispered by the wizard¡¯s ear. ¡°Why.. is he we-weighing it?¡± ¡°To make sure it¡¯s real silver.¡± Ruth then added. ¡°Recently, there has been an influx of fake currencies. We have even caught people who grind their coins little by little to make new money.¡± ¡°G-grind the co-coins?¡± Max was astonished. ¡°When you put money in a basket and shake it, the gold dust falls off. They collect them and make another gold coin. If you repeat it over and over, the coins will wear out a lot more and you will see a difference in weight. But I¡¯m not worried. My coins are almost new.¡± He took some coins out of his pocket and held them for her to see. The edges were definitely sharp. Satisfied, the merchant pocketed the coins and took out 8 Derham to check their weight, while Ruth closely watched the weighing needle. ¡°The wizard has always been stingy.¡± Hebaron booed, but Ruth didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°I¡¯m just meticulous.¡± He proudly dered, and went to the other side of the street. This time around he began bargaining, with a man who seemed to be a mercenary, over a stone the size of a rock. While the mercenary insisted he would ept no less than 15 Liram saying he almost died to get the mana stone, an adamant Ruth snorted and quibbled that 10 Liram was enough. In the end, after a long battle, Ruth bought five mana stones for the price he wanted. Meanwhile, Max was looking at things on disy from the other vendors. A palm-sized dagger with colored beads, a small piece of wood in the shape of an animal, a belt with embroidery, a bronze brooch and a rope with varying colors of threads. ¡°Wha-what is this?¡± Max, who looked at the colorful rope with curious eyes, and asked questions to the side. Ruth, however, was busy haggling with another merchant at a distance. She was embarrassed and tried to stand up from her seat when she heard a blunt voice. ¡°It¡¯s an essory for the sword.¡± Max turned her head in amazement. Hebaron was bending over and fiddling with the ornaments she was looking at. He continued, not once lifting his gaze. ¡°Many adventurers believe that they can be protected by spirits if they have it. You tie it up here.¡± He pointed to his own sword on the waist. A sturdy-looking leather sword was bound with ornaments made of twisted colored cloth. She alternated between Hebaron and the essories with an awkward face. ¡°I ha-have never seen it be-before. Ri-riftan doesn¡¯t wear th-these essories, so¡­.¡± Riftan¡¯s entire ensemble was rather brusque and crisp like the man himself. So it was very obvious that Max, who had only seen that one man in close quarters, didn¡¯t know of these beliefs that seemed to be rife among the general masses. ¡°The leader thinks this is useless. His pride is too strong to dwell on superstitions.¡± The knight¡¯s words were a blend of sarcasm and affability. Max rxed and smiled a little. ¡°If it¡¯s Riftan¡­ I t-think so.¡± ¡°But if Madam gives it to him, he might wear it.¡± He asked in a calm voice, scratching his wavy back hair. ¡°Would you like to pick one?¡± Max blinked up at him. The unexpected favor flooded her in both embarrassment and joy. ¡°W-wouldn¡¯t it be expensive?¡± ¡°How much could this thing be?¡± Max blushed at his absurd remarks. She didn¡¯t want to act stupid. She chose a short rope of red, green and orange from among the ornaments hanging. Hebaron handed a coin to the merchant without asking about the price. ¡°That¡¯s enough money of course.¡± Judging from the merchants¡¯ widened eyes, he seemed to have paid much more than the original price. ¡°I wi-will return it as s-soon as I get back to the castle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not a petty little man like a wizard who brings one coin.¡± He shrugged and turned to Ruth. Max picked up her essory and hurried after him. It crossed her mind that she had not even thanked him yet, but the man had already cut off her attention and was grumbling to Ruth for how much longer he was going to procrastinate. Ruth put the purchased goods in a sack and made an annoying gesture. ¡°Yes, yes, sir. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Chapter 103: Belongingness (2) Chapter 103 ¨C Belongingness (2) Ruth pulled the reins and walked leisurely to a quiet ce. As soon as they got out of the market, they rode straight to Calypse Castle. She was also able to climb the winding hill way with her deft skill. ¡°Who¡¯s going to take part in this round?¡± By the time they reached the barrier, Ruth looked back at Hebaron and asked, Hebaron stroked his chin with his hands as if he were pondering. ¡°I think Gabel and I are going. And I¡¯m thinking of taking some in-training-knights. It¡¯s about time they got hands-on experience.¡± ¡°The castle will be less noisy.¡± By Ruth¡¯s contented words, Hebaron grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask the leader to bring the wizard out, too.¡± ¡°Sir Calypse won¡¯t take me away. When something happens, he¡¯ll be more relieved that I am in the castle.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡± Hebaron sighed reluctantly admitting. ¡°All right. Enjoy your peace while we¡¯re gone. I¡¯ll clean up the mountain in a blink of an eye ande back and make some noise near your tower.¡± Hebaron sped up his horse and drove them through the gate at once. Ruth just shrugged carelessly. Max felt a little envious of their squabbling. There was a deep understanding and bond between Hebaron and Ruth. They weren¡¯t the only ones. When Riftan were with the knights, they looked more natural than ever. Even the moment they argued and quarreled, they still looked happy. In the eyes of Maximillian, who had always been alone, the firm bond that existed between them seemed as fascinating as ever. ¡°Now I have to go back and take a nap. I¡¯ve been living like a bat for thest few days because of those sted magic tools.¡± Ruth suddenly passed through the gate and looked back at her. ¡°Madam has done a great job, too. If you didn¡¯t help me, it would have taken me three more days.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m he-helpful.. It¡¯s my p-pleasure.¡± ¡°We will provide you with that pleasure again in the near future.¡± Ruth grinned shamelessly. She tried to frown but ended upughing. She wished she could be epted as a member of them little by little in this way. A sense of belonging. She was wondering what that would feel like. The next morning, Riftan got out of bed even before the sun rose. Max woke up half-asleep along with Riftan, rubbing her bleary eyes open with the back of her hand. At her sleepy spectacle, Riftan rubbed his lips on her cheek with a smile. ¡°You sleep a little more. You don¡¯t have to get up at this time because of me.¡± ¡°I s-slept e-enough.¡± ¡°I thought I kept you up until quitete¡­.¡± Riftan stretched hisst word and gently stroked her chest. Max blushed and quickly pulled up the sheet. Riftan chuckled and swept away her disheveled hair. ¡°Don¡¯t go hard on yourself. Just go to sleep.¡± ¡°I w-will get u-up.¡± Max stepped out of bed, holding the sheets in her hands, and narrowly missed the arm that stretched towards her to put her back. Riftan shrugged as if nothing had happened and began to prepare for his appearance. She threw the chopped firewood into the firece, watching him wash his face and shave along the basin. After a few grazing sessions, the mes red up and the room became brighter. Max damped a towel after warming herself, wiping her face and body, and taking out new underwear and shoes from the closet. Since Riftan didn¡¯t like to be served by servants, she has recently be ustomed to grooming herself. Max sat in front of the mirror tob her hair after wearing long thigh-high socks and a thick woolen dress over a vest. ¡°Give me theb, I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± Riftan, dressed in a navy blue tunic and winter leather pants, approached her back. Max shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s o-okay. I w-will do it.¡± ¡°Give it to me. I won¡¯t be able to touch it for the next few days, I should have enjoyed it enough.¡± What¡¯s fun about touching my vine-like hair? She couldn¡¯t quite understand it, but Max obediently handed over theb. Riftan grabbed ab as small as a m with a stiffened hand and began to brush her hair down. Max¡¯s cheeks blushed at his careful gestures that seemed to be worried he might hurt even a hair. Riftan carefully untangled her messy hair and skillfully braided it into four parts. ¡°Isn¡¯t my skill good enough now?¡± He praised himself, looking down at her closely braided hair. Max kissed him on the chin impulsively. Then Riftan¡¯s body stiffened. He often kisses her, but why did he react like this when she approaches first? Max said in a calm manner, hiding her shyness. ¡°It¡¯s a g-gratitude k-kiss.¡± ¡°I mean you¡­¡± Riftan breathed a long sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go out anyway. Don¡¯t make it too hard.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t m-mean to make it h-hard¡­.¡± As she gave a bewildered look at the look that seemed genuinely dejected, Riftan pulled her arm and hugged her. For a moment, when he crouched in astonishment, Max carefully wrapped her arms around his waist. Riftan groaned and rubbed his forehead roughly over her shoulder. ¡°Will you keep acting so cute?¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t do a-anything.¡± ¡°Darn, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re running out of time to do one more and wash again¡­.¡± Riftan looked at the bed with a desperate look. Chapter 104: Unusual Winter (1) Chapter 104 ¨C Unusual Winter (1) A fiery blush spread across Max¡¯s face as she pushed his chest away. When Riftan loosened his arm with a reluctant face, she quickly moved away and shielded herself with a shawl. Riftan, who was looking at it with uneasy eyes, finally breathed out a loud sigh. ¡°We¡¯ll see when I get back.¡± Then he shook his head, a slight smile on his lips, and walked in front of the armor stand. Max watched from far away as he wore shoulder and chest pads with intricate patterns that of a dragon, gripped knee pads around his shin, and thigh pads one after another. Finally, wearing a waist-wrapping fauld and a tasset over the pelvis, Riftan covered the gloves with silver gauntlets. Watching the manly figure with satisfaction, Max recalled the sword ornament she had bought at the market yesterday when she saw Riftan wearing a leather belt around his waist. She went straight through the drawer and pulled out the colored strap. ¡°W-well¡­.¡± Riftan, with a sword around his waist, looked back at her with a curious nce. Max hesitantly held out the sword ornament. ¡°I b-bought this y-yesterday at the m-market on the w-way back. Sir Nirtha s-said if a k-knight had this on the s-sword¡­ He c-can be protected by the s-spirits, so¡­.¡± He blinked nkly and looked down only at her palm. Max added mumbling. ¡°T-the money was g-given by Sir Nirtha, b-but¡­I c-chose this. It¡¯s not a b-big deal, but¡­ if you don¡¯t m-mind¡­¡± Her voice gradually crawled as he only looked down, not at all willing to ept it. Does he think it is useless? Max lowered her hand, hiding her disappointment. ¡°I-if you don¡¯t w-want to¡­ y-you don¡¯t have to f-force it.¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± Trying to put the decorations back in the drawer, Riftan rushed to hold her arm. Max looked back at him with a surprised look. Riftan snatched the strap from her hand and tied it to the sword with clumsy skill. The end piece, that of rough leather belts and colorful strap essories, were ridiculously out of ce. Max blushed with shame at her awful taste. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll keep it well.¡± He kissed her on the forehead in return and turned around. For a moment, she was disappointed with the calm attitude, but Max could see the corners of his mouth twitching up. Riftan rubbed his chin with one hand and turned around, as if to cover the uncontroble smiles on his lips, and wrapped the robe around his body. But he couldn¡¯t hide his reddish earlobe from Max. She suddenly felt a tight squeeze in her chest¡ªthat of pure giddiness. Riftan was genuinely pleased with the humble gift. And she even just bought it at Hebaron¡¯s suggestion¡­ Suddenly she was quite angryat herself. Even if she couldn¡¯t give him a great gift as he did, she should have prepared something more proper. She can¡¯t believe she made him so happy with something she bought on the street impulsively. If she could, she wanted to hit herself as hard as she could. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, so please wait for me.¡± When he was perfectly prepared with his appearance, he once again embraced her with a firm arm. Max had her face buried in his chest, trying to shake off the mncholy feeling. Something settled on her mind¡ªshe wanted to give this person a lot in the future. She¡¯ll do whatever she can. And she made up her mind like that. Riftan left with three knights, six soldiers and three in-training knights. She was anxious to see if it was too little, but Ruth reassured her by saying that the original small-scale clique consisted of only eight to as many as fourteen or fifteen people. Max climbed onto the wall and watched until the knights were out of sight, then went to the weaving room to make sure that all the fabrics she ordered had arrived. The corner of the spacious room, where spinning wheels and looms were neatly ced, was full of quality wool, and the maids were sitting by the brazier, diligently making winter clothes. Max interestingly watched the maids tautly spread the cloth on arge table, drawing designs on it, scissoring it with a tter sound, and stitching the wool between the thick cloth tightly. Although the castle, which had closed the shutters of each window due to sudden drop in temperature, was dim and dark, the maids relied on the flickering lights from thenterns to sew skillfully. The deft touch was greeted with admiration. ¡°H-how long will it take?¡± Rudis, who had counted the number of fabrics to her question, answered with wrinkles around her eyes. ¡°I think we can finish it in about three to four days. I¡¯ve distributed the clothes that we made. Until the rest of the winter clothes areplete, we¡¯re going to take turns to wear them.¡± Max came out of the weaving room with a look of relief. The castle of Calypse, where the dark had fallen, looked even more bleak. Perhaps because it was noisy preparing for the winter and decorating the castle for a while, the calm seemed more spooky than necessary. She took a look at the kitchen, the stable, and the annex with Rudis, and then returned to her room to rest. Chapter 105: Unusual Winter (2) Chapter 105 ¨C Unusual Winter (2) While sitting in front of the table and flipping through the pages, the mood gradually subsided. Winter preparations were almostplete, so there was nothing more to do. Max stared nkly out the window, wondering if the day had been this long. She couldn¡¯t believe herself that she was already feeling lonely less than half a day after he left. She used to be alone, but¡­ ¡°Madam, you must be tired. Should I get you some tea?¡± Max, who had been absent-minded, hurriedly straightened her face at the careful question of Rudis. She was the hostess of the Calypse castle. It¡¯s impossible to show that she was depressed like a child just because her husband had been away from the castle. Max nodded with a smile. Just in time, a sharp wind shook the window frame violently. Herplexion froze with anxiety, watching the naked branch shake violently. In the distance, the cries of migratory birds resounded. Winter wasing to Anatol. Two dayster, the first frost fell. Max looked down through the window at the glistening garden, as if it had been sprinkled with flour. Temperatures dropped noticeably, with winter everywhere. Is Riftan really okay in the mountains in this weather? Looking at the distant mountain nervously, Rudis, who was sitting in a chair sewing, breathed out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s unusually cold this winter. It¡¯s also so early.¡± ¡°Y-you said Anatol wasn¡¯t that c-cold even in w-winter?¡± ¡°Yes, Anatol is located in the basin, so it is warmer than other areas in winter.¡± After saying that, Rudis looked a little embarrassed. ¡°But this winter seems different. There¡¯s already thin ice in the well.¡± ¡°The f-firewood we¡¯re going to use in the meantime¡­ Won¡¯t it be s-short?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got more than usual, so it¡¯ll be fine.¡± A gentle smile by Rudis appeared to ease her mind. Max followed her and pulled the corners of her mouth, and sat in front of the firece to warm her cold hands. As the weather became rapidly cold, the castle of Calypse was filled with deep silence, as if it had fallen into a hibernation. The servants, who were briskly wandering around the castle, spent their time in a room where the brazier was ced, doing chores, and the merchants who were visiting the castle with goods stoppeding in between, making the spacious garden look like a deserted wastnd. Despite her preference for calm and quiet rather than noisy, Max felt lonely in the sudden change of mood in just a few days. ¡°Shall we start cooking lunch?¡± Rudis broke the silence and asked in a bright voice as she noticed she was feeling down. Max nodded her head. ¡°W-what¡¯s for lunch today?¡± ¡°We have cream stew with peas, smoked sausage with spices, and pumpkin pie with msses and cinnamon for dessert.¡± Just hearing the story made her mouth water. With a look of anticipation, Rudis carefully folded the sewing into the basket and left the room. Max opened up a collection of poems from the libraryst night, hoping to read until lunch was ready. But before she could even read a couple pages, there was a rather harsh knock on the door. Has Rudise back already? When she asked toe in with a curious look on her face, Rodrigo and Ruth opened the door and came inside. ¡°I¡¯m sorry toe while you are resting, Madam. The wizard said he had an urgent matter, so I brought him here.¡± ¡°W-what happened?¡± Max rose from her seat with a puzzled look. Then Ruth opened his mouth with a long sigh. ¡°At dawn, the monsters infiltrated the wall and entered the territory. The guards and knights hurriedly suppressed it, but the damage seems to be quite serious. I¡¯ve been asking for help in the Calypse Castle, so would you please sort out some useful servants?¡± In an instant, the color faded from Max¡¯s face. She was surprised by the fact that Riftan had another problem, just even a few days after he was away, and Ruth spoke calmly. ¡°It seems that the sudden drop in temperature has reduced their prey, and the monsters started to rattle. It ismon for the monsters to be vicious during this season¡­ It seems to be the first time that they have ever invaded the walls, so the guards did not seem to respond quickly.¡± Max managed to regain herposure by his calm voice. ¡°H-how many servants should I p-pick?¡± ¡°We need at least ten to six people. Then tell them to take a pile of clean cloths, a bundle of small woodblocks for splints, arge pot for medical herbs, a bucket for water, a brass bowl, a thread, a needle, a herb and food. It¡¯s a remote area, so it¡¯s hard to get what you need right away.¡± Max listened frantically to the pouring words and turned her eyes to Rodrigo. He nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them to be ready right now.¡± ¡°A-and send someone to the p-parish temple right now to h-help¡­.¡± ¡°The Temple of Anatol does not have a fuse to use divine magic.¡± Ruth cut off herst words and said firmly. ¡°Anatol is an isted area for a long time. It wasn¡¯t until recently that Lord Calypse was included in the parish. There¡¯s no way the central temple would have sent a high-ranking official to such remote areas.¡± Chapter 106: Bloody Aftermath (1) Chapter 106 ¨C Bloody Aftermath (1) The first thing Max had learned was that Ruth was the only one in Anatol capable of using healing magic. It made her uneasy. What would happen if there was even one more problem? Ruth lightly flicked his finger at her as if to bring her out of her anxious reverie. ¡°Worryter. Right now, it is best to continue preparing the servants. I will go prepare the medicinal herbs.¡± ¡°A-all right.¡± With that he turned around and left the room. As soon as he was gone, Max brought out her thick, heavy robe and put it on and rang a small bell to gather her servants. Once they¡¯d all arrived, she chose ten strong, young servants and five maids. She ordered them to start preparing to go out. Then, she left the Great Hall. When she came out to the military training field, she pulled up her hood to block the cold wind. She saw three huge carriages that were being loaded up with bags by the servants. After confirming that everything was packed, she boarded the carriage along with her servants. After a while, Ruth appeared carrying arge sack over his shoulder. He packed the medicine into the luggagepartment. Max scooched closer to the carriage wall, so he could climb up. However, the wizard was surprised when to see her. ¡°Oh, is the Madam going as well?¡± Her eyes widened. Of course, she thought she had to go and help. But¡­ ¡°Wi-will it cause a disturbance if I-I go?¡± ¡°No. I was just surprised, that¡¯s all. It would be quite helpful if youe.¡± The wizard sat opposite to her smiling softly. Soon, the three carriages departed and began to pass underneath the gate. As they were crossing the Dogaegyo Bridge, they began to rattle violently, startling Max and causing her to cling onto the handles tightly. The carriage slightly tilted forward while going down the steep hill. Suddenly worried that she was going to fall off, she clung even tighter. As he witnessed the entire scene, Ruth shook his head and spoke. ¡°The wheels of the carriage are equipped to handle going downhill. You do not have to be so nervous.¡± Max flushed, immediately letting go of the handle. She was embarrassed to show that she had little experience riding in a carriage. How much he must have traveled¡­ Like he¡¯d said, the carriage came down the hill safely and turned eastward. She looked through the window as they went along the remote forest path, densely packed with naked trees. The thin branches of the trees cast web-like shadows over the icy ground. Looking around at the bleakndscape, Max turned away from the window and took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. After a while, the carriage came to a stop. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± When the servant opened the door, Ruth jumped out first. Following him, Max stepped out only to be greeted by piles of the corpses of evil creatures hardened as if they were stone. In the wide, open space of the lumberyard, there were tree stumps sparsely scattered and it was there that the bodies of huge beasts with pitch-ck fur were stacked. ¡°Werewolves¡­, ¡± said Ruth calmly, looking down at the head of the beast, ¡°¡­ if they had secretly tried to climb the wall at night, it¡¯s no wonder the guards did not notice. We need to set up a contingency n.¡± Max managed to swallow the bile that began to crawl up her throat. She did not want to see such an unseemly sight again. ¡°Wizard, Sir! You came!¡± A loud voice echoed. Consciously turning away from the gory scene, Max looked towards the direction of the sound. Between the dense tree line, she could see a few shabby cabins and knights leading their garrisons. One of the knights quickly strode forth to Ruth. ¡°Sir Wizard, Lord Ricardo has hurt his shoulder. Could you please take a look at the wound?¡± he said solemnly. ¡°You say Lord Ricardo is hurt?¡± A puzzled Ruth queried. How?¡± The young knight exhaled as if biding a moment to muster a reply. ¡°It was foggy near dawn, so I did not notice the call for help. Lord Ricardo was holding off the werewolves by himself until the backup arrived.¡± ¡°What in the world¡­ where is Lord Ricardo now?¡± ¡°Come this way, please.¡± Ruth hurried after the knight. Max, who had been standing by the side, was now confused as to what she should do. Instructing the servants to unload the carriages, she quickly trailed Ruth. As she gingerly stepped into the dimly lit cabin, she could see the wounded scattered across the floor in neat rows. Max examined the dusty space and furtively nced at the guard lying closest to her. It was a gruesome sight. She gasped without even realizing it. Arm bent at a strange angle, the once prim and proper tunic ragged, stained with dirt and blood, hey there with a mottled and ckened face wincing in excruciating pain. There was also a peculiar stench emanating from him. All in all, he made for a ghastly sight. Max had blindly followed Ruth, she had little experience in tending to wounds let alone the severely injured. She was now but a nk spectator, as she stood there in a state of panic and broke out into a cold sweat. However, the able wizard had taken the reins in his hands and Ruth yelled out to her from across the room. ¡°Mydy! Please tell your servants to boil water right away. We will need a lot of it.¡± Go Maxi! Really love how she¡¯s being exposed more to the world¡­ although this is abit of cruel situation T T Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Max dragged herself enough to move out of the cabin quickly. She ordered the servants to make a fire to boil water and then to bring it into the cabin. The servants immediately gathered wood to create a fire pit in front of the hut, took arge pot out of the carriage and rushed to the nearby spring. Ruth finished treating the knight¡¯s wound and scrambled out of the cabin to retrieve his sack of herbs. He faced Max. ¡°Have you ever dealt with an injured person?¡± Max shook her head. She was not going to lie at such a critical time. Ruth nodded and seemed to have expected it. Ruth took out a few small packets and pushed them out to her. ¡°This powder is a hemostatic agent. It helps to clot blood. The patient¡¯s clothes are carefully cut with scissors to reveal the wound, cleanse with clean water and sprinkle this powder. Then press it with a clean cloth to stop bleeding.¡± ¡°Wha-what about using hea-healing magic¡­¡± Max was shocked to hear the procedure. She had thought this could taken care of by magic. Besides, Ruth was known for this very thing! ¡°I cannot cure all of them with my abilities.¡± Ruth exined. ¡°Ten people with serious injuries is my limit. We have to treat the remaining directly.¡± ¡°O-o-okay.¡± Max realized that she could not just sit on the sidelines and watch anymore. There was no time to hesitate, She picked a packet trying to hide her fear. With trembling hands, she repeated the instructions in her heart one by one, opening the packet to look inside. At that time, Ruth handed her another packet. ¡°The dried leaves are an antidote. If anyone has a purple swollen wound or a fever, please put this in their mouth and have them swallow it. Call me if they are unconscious and you have trouble feeding them.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡± She nodded with a grave look as shemitted the words to her memory. ¡°I¡¯m sure some of the servants have experience in dealing with the wounded. You don¡¯t have to be so nervous, if you give them simple instructions, they should be able to take care of the rest.¡± He emphasized to reassure her and took the rest of his sack back in the cabin. After Muttering a short prayer, Max turned towards the servants who were boiling water over the campfire. She was able to barely pass on the simple instructions Ruth left her to the servants. They went into the cabin and barracks straight away each carrying the prepared utensils, linen, and a bowl full of boiling water. The anxious Max followed the maids to the barracks. The maids were already familiar with treating the injured. She followed them around as they tended to the injured people, trying to help in any way possible. Some had suffered minor injuries, but a majority had wounds that were strange and unusual. Twelve men in humble clothings who seemed to be loggers, seven soldiers and if those in the other cabin were included.., there were well over forty injured. It was her first time seeing so many injured people, she had to crack down her fear with immense willpower. Repressing the urge to run away, she leaned over to the nearest guard. The man was almost unconscious. Max hesitated. She looked at the nket covering his body. The beast must have bitten his leg. His right thigh was soaked with blood. She swallowed her nausea and brought scissors to his dirty pants. The old-looking guard groaned. She thought she had hurt him more and pulled her hand back. However, she braced herself and cut along the length of his right pants. The wounds in sight were terrible. His flesh was torn and dug up, and ck blood clots were tangled around the injury like mud. Repressing the desire to scream, she wiped the gasp with clean linen moistened with water, as directed by Ruth. The guard wriggled like an earthworm in salt water upon touch. It took a long time to wipe all the blood off. After disposing off the blood-soaked linen, with trembling hands, she sprinkled the blood-clotting powder on the wound. She then grabbed a fresh cloth, nervously wrapping it around his thigh. Although she had treated only one person so far, her shoulders became stiff, and cold sweat ran down her back. Is this really how it is done? Max stood up from her sitting position, looking down at the guard with anxious eyes. If she simply followed Ruth¡¯s instructions, everything should be fine, she reassured herself. She repeated his words over and over in her mind and walked toward the next man in a shaky gait. Each one had a horrific and terrible appearance. One man had a broken arm with the bone protruding from the skin. Another man had his face stained with blood most likely from hitting his head. Max took care of a man with a head injury first. The damp and slippery texture made her feel sick and dizzy, but she could barely hold herself from fainting. She came here to help those in need, not to be a hindrance. She washed his wound, sprinkled the powder, and then bandaged him. It was fortunate the blood coagted. Max sighed in relief ncing at her servants. Everyone was taking care of someone in a simr way. She could rx a little and as she moved on to the next person, a thin hand unexpectedly held her back. ¡°Do not touch him. We need to set the bones first.¡± Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Max walked up to Ruth with her eyes widened, looking at his face. He looked very pale and she wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of exhaustion from continuously exerting himself using healing magic. Ruth sighed in exhaustion and crouched down next to a guard carefully lifting the man¡¯s broken arm where the bone was poking out through the skin. ¡°Can you grab hold of his shoulders, my Lady?¡± Max took a look at the face of the unconscious guard for a moment and then raised both of her hands to his shoulders. Then, Ruth pulled on the broken arm and realigned the bone. Immediately, the guard¡¯s eyes opened, he let out a scream and twisted his body. Max almost fell to the floor by his power. ¡°Please hold on tight!¡± She could barely keep her bnce and pressed hard on the guard¡¯s body. After Ruth fixed his arm straight, he covered the open wound which was trickling blood with his hands. Then a white light wrapped around the injury. Max stared at the sight with her eyes wide. The healing magic she remembers felt rather cold and icy. After being whipped by her father till her skin was tattered, if she were to receive treatment from the cleric, she always remembered feeling like a block of ice was being rubbed on her skin. But the light surrounding the guard now looked warm and soft, like the spring sun. Max secretly touched the light. She felt the warm heat that seemed to melt the tips of her fingers, just as she touched the tree next to the pavilion the other day. ¡°The ws and teeth of a werewolf are poisonous. Please give him this antidote when he regains consciousness. No.¡­ mix it first with boiling water and then have him drink it.¡± Max shook off the strange feeling she was having and hurried up to get up. ¡°I-l¡¯ll g-go and boil w-wa-ter in the p-pot right away.¡± ¡°Thank you, my Lady.¡± Ruthy resting on the edge of the makeshift bed of piled-up straws with a fatigued look and caught his breath. It seems that the healing magic consumed a lot of energy. During his break, Max left the barracks and asked the maid to brew medicinal tea and bring it to them. She was heading to the barracks with firewood for the brazier, and suddenly saw the guards and knights gathered in the open space burning the corpses of werewolves. Max froze at the terrifying scene. As the smell of burning meat touched her nose, nausea that she was just barely holding back erupted in her throat. Max put down the firewood and quickly jumped into the woods. Her inside was beating violently. She squatted on a tree stump and vomited water. Tears flowed down her red cheeks. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± She was gasping for breath when a low voice came from a distance. She turned her head in surprise. A tall young knight with light brown hair stood a few steps away from her. Looking at Max¡¯s face, his eyes widened. ¡°What is yourdyship doing in a ce like this¡­?¡± He muttered that he did not know that the Lord¡¯s wife hade with them with a stunned look. Max was ashamed at being caught looking so unseemly and quirky, and wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her robe. ¡°I wa-was in the m-middle of fe-fetching firewood when¡­¡± She murmured, dozing off. She couldn¡¯t say that she felt nauseous when she saw the monster¡¯s burning body. But the knight managed to grasp the situation and groaned quietly. ¡°Your Ladyship doesn¡¯t have toe out here. Please return to the castle. I¡¯ll escort you.¡± Without waiting for her reply, he churned around and began calling the guards. Max chased after him, flustered. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Ple-please don¡¯t m-mind me¡­¡± ¡°How could I pay no attention to the captain¡¯s wife wandering around? Please don¡¯t push yourself unnecessarily and return. Hey! Bring the carriage. Escort Lady Calypse back to the castle!¡± Hepletely ignored her and ordered the guards. In no time, her temper burned with his attitude. She rounded him up with a big step and stood in front of him, blocking his way. The knight stopped in surprise. Although Max was frightened and trembled in fear, she deliberately stared at him and gathered up what little dignity she had. ¡°I-It is natural for the L-lord¡¯s wife.. toe and of-offer her help w-when a p-problem oc-urs in the barracks! I-I¡­ said I w-would do my b-best to fulfill my d-duty. So¡­ with w-what r-rights do you c-im that my e-effforts are¡­ un-unnecessary? She wanted to sound harsh, but her tongue was mixed up more than usual and her voice kept failing her. She bit her lip. She was so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t stand it. Her ears turned pink, her eyes fell in all directions and finally she dropped her head. ¡°P-please, don¡¯t mind m-me¡­ a-and keep doing your own w-work.¡± Then, before he could do anything, she gathered the firewood again and ran to the barracks. Her heart was beating faster. She threw firewood onto the dwindling fire and looked at the door again anxiously. Will they call her a stuck-up stutterer? Nevermind. What was it to her? The knights hated her anyway. Nothing would change because they hated her a little more. Max¡¯s head drooped bluntly, she piled up the rest of the firewood by the fire and headed over for Ruth. ¡°Ru-ruth¡­ how is h-his c-condition?¡± Ruth, who was looking at the woodcutter¡¯s broken ankle, looked up and sighed at her worried tone. At a nce it was obvious that he was very tired. ¡°I¡¯ve exhausted all my magical power, so I don¡¯t think I can use magic for half a day or so.I have already treated patients in the most serious condition, but we can¡¯t just wait for my magic to recover to treat the rest of the patients. We will have to treat them with what we can do with our hands.¡± Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Max asked anxiously, ¡°Sh-shall I bring a do-doctor from t-town?¡± ¡°There is only one good doctor at Anatol.. We can¡¯t ask him to leave his clinic, so we¡¯ll have to send the patients there in a carriage.¡± He stood up and tapped his chin as if evaluating how many people they needed to move. ¡°The clinic will struggle to amodate so many patients. Let¡¯s first transport those poisoned by werewolf venom and then treat the other patients by hand.¡± Max anxiously swallowed. She wondered if ¡®ourselves¡¯ included her. ¡°Wha-what sh-should we do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. We will first apply poultice to the swollen injury, put a splint the broken bone, and stitch any cuts with a needle and thread.¡± He exined patiently. Max stared at him with a shock she couldn¡¯t hide from her face, ¡°Sti-stitch¡­?¡± Looking at her expression, which made it seem like she may pass out any moment, Ruth sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be handling the stitches, so just stay by my side and help me, mydy.¡± Max sighed in relief and nodded. ¡°O-okay.¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s send those with high fever to the clinic.¡± He left the barracks in a hurry. Max pulled herself together and followed the wizard. The servants of Castle Calypse took 15 patients with boiling fever into a carriage and sent them off under Ruth¡¯s instructions. Those Ruth had healed with healing magic had porridge and medicinal tea prepared by the maids. Regaining their strength, they even began to help with repairing the cabins. There were a total of eight woodcutter cabins. Four of them had cracked walls and if they did not repair it quickly, there would have been no way to stop the cold at night. They cut the timber into even nks and started hammering them together loudly. Max did her best to hear Ruth¡¯s full exnation over the noise. ¡°Drench a clean piece of cloth in strong alcohol and gently wipe the wound. I can¡¯t tell you exactly why, but doing this reduces the chance of the wound rotting.¡± ¡°Co-could there be so-something in alcohol that sto-stops wounds from rotting?¡± ¡°It could be. After all, the alcohol itself doesn¡¯t go bad quickly.¡± He agreed carefully while threading small and fine needles. ¡°They call it Healing Alcohol of the South and it¡¯s notpletely clear how it works. ording to them, the wound should be kept clean, the bleeding is not good under any circumstances, and the patient¡¯s should not get too cold or too hot. I thought it was nonsense at first, but¡­ I got much better results through their methods than by sprinkling dog urine on the wound or using leeches, or searing the wounds with a hot iron.It is iparable to healing magic.¡­ but it is the best way to do this¡­. for these kinds of situations.¡± While he spoke, he began to finely stitch up the wound. Max recoiled bodily as if her back had been stabbed with a needle. ¡°If we close the wound like this ¨C one stitch and then tie it off, another and then tie it off, it is very easy to remove the threadter. Would you like to try it once, mydy?¡± Ruth said, but his gaze did not leave his work. Max shook her head like a rattle. She hated looking like a coward, but she absolutely had no nerves at all to sew up human skin with a needle! ¡°It¡¯s not that different from sewing leather shoes.¡± Ruth tried to encourage her. Suddenly the guard who had been reduced to a leather shoe, made a painful groan from his position face-down on a pile of straw. However, Ruth continued to sew wounds without paying any heart. Max, Like a diligent apprentice, soaked some linen in strong alcohol and wiped it cleanly every time some blood trickled out, and cut the thread with scissors that had been sterilized over a me when a knot was tied. ¡°Now, finally, if we apply this ointment that helps the wound heal quickly and bandage it up, we¡¯re all done.¡± After Ruth has tied off thest stitch and the thread is cut, he applied a sticky ointment to the wound. It seemed that it was a lot painful for the guard, who had been drooling and lying quietly on his stomach, couldn¡¯t stand it and made a cry. ¡°S-sir W-wizard¡­ Can¡¯t you just use your healing magic? It feels like there¡¯s a fire pressed against my back.¡± The guard, struggling in pain, pleaded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t use magic anymore today. I¡¯ve used up all my magical power, you see.¡± Ruth replied as if he was talking about the weather. ¡°My God¡­¡± The guard gasped. ¡°Just put up little while longer, I¡¯m almost done.¡± After carefully applying the ointment, Ruth tied the wound tightly with a long cloth. ¡°If you apply the ointment once every two days and change the bandage, it will heal cleanly within 10 days,¡± he said, then put the ointment in a small bottle and handed it to the guard. The guard thanked him in a small voice,mumbling as he epted the bottle of medicine. Max gathered up the equipment and followed Ruth to the next patient. While he was switching the wound, Max helped with little tasks, like feeding the wounded person water steeped in medicinal herbs, tearing the cloth into long strips for bandages, covering the thread and needles in strong alcohol and handing it over to him. Even though it was the first time in her life that she was doing such work, Max was able to carry it out well thanks to Ruth¡¯s instructions. Whenever Ruth rearranged a broken arm or leg, she applied a splint and fixed it securely with a cloth and wrapped hot towels around the swollen ankles. Finally, when all patients were treated, she was so tired that bending her fingers seemed difficult and like hard work. Max sank down beside the brazier and let her body melt away by the heat. Before she knew it, the sun waspletely set and the darkness fell outside. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 The dusk began setting in slowly and exhaustion even sooner. Seeing the sight of the wounded still in need of treatment, Max wondered if she could return to the castle today. The thought of spending the night out here in the cold, the enervation seemed to sink all the way to her stomach. Her face was filled with worry when a wooden bowl was thrust into her line of sight. ¡°Please eat this, mydy.¡± Max looked up at the man who hade in surprise. A young knight who had previously tried to send her back to the castle earlier stood holding a steaming bowl of soup. ¡°It¡¯s rabbit stew, mydy. It can¡¯t bepared to the food in the castle, but it¡¯s a good meal¡±, he said with a smile. Max who was blinking at him nkly, epted the bowl. She suddenly realized she had skipped lunch in and was now extremely hungry. ¡°T-thank you.¡± She gratefully epted the bowl. ¡°Please, say nothing of it. Before¡­ ¡° Without caring about her surroundings, her quick fingers began to work. As soon as she scooped a spoonful of stew into her mouth, a hesitant voice reached out to her. Max¡¯s nerves spiked. What else could he possibly have to say to her? Unexpectedly, the knight came before her, who was frozen in surprise and bowed his head respectfully. ¡°I apologize for my actions earlier. As your Ladyship said, I was rude.¡± Max stared nkly at the top of the knight¡¯s head, with spoon still in her mouth. She couldn¡¯t even imagine that someone would bow her head to her. She quickly put down the bowl and waved her hands. ¡°N-no, please. I-It was rather I¡­ who¡­w-was¡­ o-oversensitive¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said hastily. She was embarrassed enough at being caught in that situation, and she also knew that she had to rein in her nerves hereon ¡°Please, mydy, don¡¯t apologize. Was it not I who first showed disrespect towards your Ladyship? It was no overreaction for someone of your stature.¡± Max¡¯s cheeks turned red at the knight¡¯s words. Her stiff shoulders drooped with relief. ¡°Th-Thank you¡­ f-for saying t-this.¡± She was indeed thankful. The weight had been lifted off of her chest. The knight¡¯s face changed ufortably at her shyly spoken words, and he wasn¡¯t sure what to say next. The two were saved from the awkward atmosphere by Ruth¡¯s return to the barracks from the outside. He looked at the knight standing next to Max and opened his eyes. ¡°Sir Karon, is there a problem?¡± ¡°No, my Lord. That is¡­ I am apologizing for my bad manners towards herdyship.¡± He answered honestly. The wizard looked like he wanted to ask more for a moment, but then decided against it. He approached the fire, held his hands out towards it, and sighed deeply. ¡°The knights who ventured beyond the castle walls to scout for dark creatures that may be hiding around just returned. Your Ladyship ought to return to the castle now.¡± ¡°Wha-what about you, Ruth?¡± She was surprised she could return. ¡°I think I will have to stay here today. Someone could still develop a feverter¡­ When the magic recovers, I can also some of the men better.¡± Max dithered for a moment. The part of her that was bone-tired was desperate to return to the castle, throw herself onto the bed and close her eyes, but her conscience was opposing return. ¡°Th-then I t-too¡­ wi-will stay here today¡­¡± ¡°You have done everything you can. Even if you go back now, you have done more than enough.¡± Ruth interrupted, cutting her off sternly. Max¡¯s expression hardened as she wondered if he was trying to say that she was a bother. Recognizing her difort, Ruth gave her a soft smile. ¡°Lord Calypse will throw a fit when he learns that Your Ladyship spent the night in the barracks. I have asked the knights to escort you, so please go back to the castle and have some rest. Then we,too can be relieved.¡± ¡°I will escort Your Ladyship.¡± Sir Karon volunteered. With two resolute men before her, Max could no longer dig her heels in anymore and finally nodded in consent. To be honest, she didn¡¯t want to spend more nights outside surrounded by the smell of burning monster flesh. Maintaining an act of reluctance, she climbed into the carriage, which was dragged over by two servants. The knight came over on horseback, stood next to the carriage, and finally proceeded slowly forward. She crouched in the bumpy seat and sighed in relief. Her nerves were rxed and her exhaustion was gone. Like a cat by the fireside, Max wrapped her arams around her knees and slowly dozed off. It had been the most tiring day she has ever experienced in 22 years. As soon as she reached the castle, she took off her blood and dirt-covered robe, washed it, and passed out in bed. When she opened her eyes the next day, her whole body ached as if she had been beaten all over with a club. Max rolled over her stomach and groaned. When Rudis walked into the room with an armful of firewood, a face buried in a pillow and muffled moans greeted her. ¡°Is everything all right, mydy?¡± She asked anxiously. Max got up from the bed, smiling painstakingly. Rudis immediately called the maids to prepare a hot bath. She soaked in the steaming water until her tightly knotted muscles rxed, then got out and dressed in a soft underskirt and a thick woolen dress. Rudis paid close attention to diligently drying her hair with a towel and then took great carebing it through for her. ¡°How about just resting in the bedroom today, mydy? It¡¯s very cold.¡± As if sensing her fatigue, she suggested. ¡°I-I was thinking about g-going to the li-library for a while. Th-There¡¯s a book I want t-to r-read¡­¡± ¡°Then I will immediately send a message to light the fire in the library. Since the wizard is absent from yesterday, it will be very cold in there.¡± Rudis immediately left the room. After filled up on soft barley porridge that another maid brought her, Max slipped on a heavy robe and headed to the library. The room was warm and cozy thanks to the servants who lit the lights beforehand. Chapter 111: Slow Wave of Change (2) Chapter 111 ¨C Slow Wave of Change (2) She flipped the curtains back to let the light flood the room and began to look through the shelves one by one. However, she soon found out that the book she was looking for was not as easy to find as she had expected. She pulled the books out of the bookshelf, checked the contents one at a time, and returned them over and over again. Will I have to ask Ruth when he returns¡­ ? After a long time of going through the books, Max¡¯s shoulders fell in disappointment. She was about to give up and turn away from the bookshelves when the title of a book on a precariously piled stack in a secluded corner of the room caught her eyes. When she pulled out the book, Max¡¯s face lit up. The book was full of illustrations of medicinal herbs and traditional remedies. Many dark creatures lived in the vicinity of Anatol. Events of the same kind as yesterday can recur at any time. To prepare at least a little better for such a period, she thought it was necessary to learn a little more about healing. Sitting by the window bathed in the pale winter sun, she sat down to carefully read the ardously written book. However, the illustrations of medicinal nts are blurred and difficult to identify.. and as far as treatment is concerned¡­ Well, it was full of dubious methods like sprinkling ashes on bruises and covering hair in beaten eggs to lower a fever. After trying to read for a long time, Max finally sighed and closed. Her energy disappeared when she found out that the book she had been looking for so hard was eventually useless and sapped the energy out of her. It would befortable if there was only one more person who could use healing magic even a little¡­I could be ease.. but¡­ They could hire other wizards or ask for a high ranking priest to be sent to them from the main temple, but neither method was particrly easy. Several lords held fierce tournaments to attract great wizards into their territory, and besides, hasn¡¯t Ruth already said that the main temple in Osiria would never send a high-ranking preist all the way out here? As Max contemted what to do before she rose, she squinted and decided to explore a little more to see if she could find a different book. But in the end, after spending a quarter of the day and getting no more results, Max was forced to trudge sullenly out of the library. Upon returning to the room, Rudys brought her generous servings of crispy goose, crepes thered in apple jam, and a rich pumpkin soup made from goat¡¯s milk for her evening meal. But she found she had little appetite, so she sat in front of the firece and flicking through a book she had brought back. There was a voice in her head iming that doing this may pay off in the future, but in the end her patience ran thin. Max stared at the zing fire with trembling eyes anxiously. Countless thoughts swept over her, and her insecurities resurfaced. Riftan may love her for the time being, but there was no guarantee he would feel that way forever. She wasn¡¯t the noble and charming woman he thought he was. The moment he realizes the truth, his affection can disappear like a mirage. Max couldn¡¯t get rid of that persistent anxiety. What did one have to do to feel confident and secure in one¡¯s position? Max sighed in wonder at the extend of her own weaknesses as she fingered the pages of the book impatiently. A dark motive was hidden behind her desperate attempt to help. If she could make herself a little useful, perhaps he would still allow her to stay there, even if he came to hate her. Max unintentionally put down the book and buried her face weakly in her knees. Every time she recalled this twisted reality, her heart trembled dangerously. If only he was here to wrap his arms around her and melt away her angst¡­ The thought only made her feel lonelier. The next day, Max was in thepany of the book she had found in the corner of the library that listed ancient healing methods. Although the writing on the faint yellow pages was small, tightly packed, and in an ancientnguage,she was able to read it without any problem thanks to the time she had spent hiding in the library as a child. But as the book continued, the number of words she had never seen before increased, making it more and more difficult for her to understand. She slowly skimmed through the book and carefully wrote down the new vocabry. It looked like an old term for medical tools and parts of the body, so she searched for relevant texts and soon had a whole pile of books stacked up on the desk. A crease appared on Max¡¯s brow as she cluthed her quill. She was just reading through the book as if it was in front of her because she hoped it would help, but honestly she couldn¡¯t understand half of what she was reading. She sighed heavily. Sweeping her hair back in impatience,she wondered if she could learn something like this. Right Then, there was a rattling sound and the library door opened. A happy smile apread across her face when she spotted the person striding into the room, swinging his arms. ¡°R-Ruth! Wh-when did you re-return? A-Are all the injured m-men doing well now?¡± Her excitement was evident in her voice. It seemed like her savior had finally appeared. ¡°I returnedst evening. And all of the injured have been treated.¡± Ruth replied firmly as he stepped back to his usual ce. Then suddenly he noticed the titles of the books on the desk and looked at her with curiosity. ¡°Are you trying to learn about healing, mydy?¡± Chapter 112: Max’s Resolve (1) Chapter 112 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (1) He picked up the top book from the pile and looked at the girl on the other side with his eyebrow raised. Max¡¯s confidence in facing a meticulous gaze disappeared. She mumbled an answer. ¡°A-and¡­ be-because it could happen¡­E-even just a little bit¡­ I t-thought it would be g-good to know¡­¡± Ruth suddenly smiled brightly as she looked at him nervously, not sure if he was going to snort. ¡°It¡¯s a very admirable idea.¡± He spoke as if praising a child and pulled out his chair across him. ¡°Did you start studying yesterday? Show me what you did.¡± He picked up a pile of parchment before she even allowed it. Max red at him with slits. One day she will tell the wizard that he should never touch a woman¡¯s object without asking her permission. While making a decision¡­ ¡­ Ruth asked unexpectedly, ¡°Can you speak the ancientnguage?¡± ¡°I l-learned it¡­. W-when I was little.¡± She said awkwardly. By the time Rosetta grew up to be a perfect girl, Max had the most rigorous education. It was the Duke of Croix¡¯s order to correct her daughter¡¯s foolishness. However, even with a rigorous curriculum, her symptoms were not alleviated, and it was not long before Rosetta¡¯s excellence was revealed. That way she was freed from the terrible task of reciting poetry in front of a high-intensity teacher and her father once a month. Of course, she never recited a poem she had memorized all night long. She was beaten to death by her father even before the first verse was over. Max hastily lowered her eyes to hide her white face with terrible memories. ¡°I-I am not g-good at it, but¡­.¡± She started to speak. ¡°When I look at your handwriting, it seems meticulous.¡± ¡°B-because I-I like to r-read books¡­ I h-have n-no problems with r-reading and writing. The h-hard words¡­ I don¡¯t k-know..¡± Ruth stayed silent for a long time. Max averted her eyes because the silence was ufortable. Ruth,Looking up at the pile of parchment she had left behind without a word, Ruth suddenly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you learn magic?¡± Max didn¡¯t understand what he was saying at once and blinked. Excited by his own suggestion, Ruth suddenly reached out. ¡°Learning magic is much better than learning healing. If you could use healing magic, my burden would be less!¡± The wizard did not hide a little suggestion that it was purely for his own benefit. Max frowned and refuted, ¡°Ma-magic¡­ is veryplex and requires sophisticated calctions¡­ I he-heard it¡¯s a high le-level of le-learning. It¡¯s too m-much for me.¡± ¡°Of course it takes a long time to study and train to learn high level advanced magic, but it¡¯s a different story when ites to general magic. As long as you have basic mana affinity, you can learn some magic from years of education and training.¡± ¡°Wh-what¡¯s general ma-magic?¡± Max asked curiously. ¡°It refers to all shamanistic magic. It includes simple healing magic, recovery magic, levitation, etc.¡± Ruth spoke naturally as if healing magic, healing magic, or levitation was a plus or minus. Max gave a passive smile. ¡°If I c-could¡­ it w-would be great¡­ but it will take years. It¡¯s good to le-learn th-therapy right away¡­¡± ¡°It takes years to develop your mana affinity and learn math, ancientnguages ??and basic studies. You have the basic skills to learn because you are weak but interested in magic and can do ancientnguages ??and math. If you only train for a few months, you¡¯ll be able to learn some simple magic.¡± With his continous persuasion, Max felt her expectations waver. Can I really do magic? She looked up at him with trembling eyes. ¡°C-ca-I¡­ can I¡­ re-really learn ma-magic?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to lose from trying.¡± That¡¯s right! Max gathered up her courage. ¡°I-if you co-could teach me¡­ I w-will l-learn diligently!¡± ¡°Okay, thene to the library tomorrow afternoon. I¡¯ll have the equipment you need to learn magic.¡± Ruth spoke cheerfully, walked to the shelf and picked up two thick books. ¡°These books will help you understand magic. Read it whenever you have time.¡± She came out of the library holding the book and a fluttering heart. Her heart was beating very fast. She seemed to have found her potential for the first time in her life. An unfamiliar pounding kept Max awake until dawn. She resorted to candles and read the book Ruth gave her until it was dark under her eyes. One was an outline of magic and the other is a simplified version of the magic principle. It wasn¡¯t as difficult as she thought. Determination soared in her heart, thinking that she could do it. As far as she knows, she could really be a wizard. She portrayed the scenes in her mind of spewing fire from her palms, smashing the mana, and causing rain and wind to annihte enemies trying to invade Anatol. The sight of Riftan hugging her with pride was there too. Just imagining him being proud of her, her lips parted and a smile emerged on her face. If she could do magic, she could have probably apanied Riftan on the expeditions. Shepletely forgot that she had fainted at the sight of the devil as she stomped her feet on the bed. Her heart was filled with hope. Chapter 113: Max’s Resolve (2) Chapter 113 ¨C Max¡¯s Resolve (2) The enchanting illusion was shattered by Ruth the next day, who appeared as excited as he was at noon. Max looked at the intricate diagrams drawn on arge stone tablet and listened to a long lecture by the wizard, who was very excited. Having made a pedantic remark about the concept of magic, Ruth started a heated exnation of how magic worked. It was as if she was listening to a foreignnguage. ¡°How is it? Do you understand?¡± At the end of the long, long exnation, Max almost sobbed on the spot with frustration and disappointment. Ruth frowned at Max¡¯s tearful face, unsure of the reason for her demise, ¡°Is there a difficult part in my exnation?¡± ¡°Th-there was no-nothing that was not dif-difficult¡± Max mumbled with low energy. ¡°As e-expected¡­ it w-was too much for me.¡± ¡°That attitude is already difficult.¡± Ruth grumbled discontentedly at her passive attitude. ¡°You have to cultivate a habit of continually digging in. When you can¡¯t understand, you have to ask until you can understand.¡± It was too much of a demand for someone who got used to resigning. Max turned her eyes down and nodded nkly. In a calm and soft voice, Ruth said, ¡°I¡¯ll repeat it step by step. If you don¡¯t understand, let me know. I¡¯ll exin it from the beginning.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± Max felt a bit better. He erased the diagram from the stone te and began to draw a simple picture again. ¡°There is an invisible power in the natural world. Wizards call it ¡®mana¡¯.¡± This time he spoke slowly, but his hands moved quickly. She immediately wrote it on parchment. Ruth waited until he finished writing and then continued his exnation. ¡°The wizards train themselves to umte the mana that exists in the natural world. Then, the ¡®mana¡¯ that is enriched by bringing it into the body is called a ¡®spell¡¯.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­ isn¡¯t it the same?¡± She asked. ¡°It is a mix, but it¡¯s technically different. If mana is a stable energy that exists in equilibrium in the natural world, spells are quite unstable energy that artificially umtes inside humans and monsters. Mana tends to obey thews of the natural world, while spells are against it.¡± ¡°I-I¡­ really don¡¯t un-understand.¡± She was almost on the verge of breaking down. ¡°Look at this.¡± He reached out in the air. ¡°Now the mana in this space is in perfect bnce. It¡¯s a very ¡°natural¡± situation. But like this¡­¡± He flicked his finger. Then, a fire the size of a fist rose into the air. ¡°I used my spell to break the bnce of mana in this space. This is magic. From the point of view of the natural world, it is very unnatural. Originally, there should be no fire, light, or heat in this space. So, nature puts constant pressure on this unnatural state. Wizards call this force an anti-spell. Except, the spell the wizard ced into the natural world is a power to move on to a ¡°state that makes sense¡¯ and we are back to a ¡®natural state¡¯. By this power¡­.¡± The mes disappeared when he lowered his hand. ¡°The magic does notst and disappears like this.¡± ¡°D-didn¡¯t you say you can¡¯t do ma-magic without magic ski-skill the other d-day?¡± She refuted. ¡°The me that just started is also caused by magic skills. If the spell is an ingredient, the magic skill is the recipe. The specific exnation for how much spell to put into this space is the magic skill. To be a wizard, you need to steadily umte enough mana in your body and learn how to manipte it ording to magic skill.¡± She hurriedly took down his exnation, breathlessly. Ruth squinted his eyes and asked. ¡°Did you understand this far?¡± ¡°I-I un-understand, but¡­.¡± Max looked grim as she looked down at the books she had piled up on her desk. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ h-how to d-deal with s-spell exquisitely ¡­ like the ma-magic skill¡­it¡¯s too di-diffficult and coplicated to do.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll exin that one by one.¡± He scratched his head and rolled up the magical design of the book and tucked it into the back of the road. ¡°First, practice collecting mana and dealing with spell. Now,take this.¡± He took out a transparent stone from his small pocket and held it out. ¡°W-What is it?¡± ¡°It is a mana stone used to develop mana affinity. It tends to draw nearby mana and produce a faint heat. If you hold it and practice detecting the minute movement of mana around the stone, you will be more mana-friendly and sensitive to mana¡¯s flow. First of all, we will practice with it¡­. Here, Read all of these books. To understand the skill of magic, you need to study geometry and surveying as well as math.¡± He handed out three thick books that seemed heavy to him to hold in one arm. Max felt less than a handful of confidence vanish. She looked at the book in a sullen way. The dense letters broke her heart at once. Can I really do it?¡­ Max recalled the fantasies of the previous day to revive her motivation. Riftan, who proudly looked at her being able to use magic. And Maximilian, donning a gorgeous robe worn by wizards on an adventure with him. When imagining herself traveling through the mountains and fields with Riftan, she felt a great pressure on her shoulders. Only then did her heart be firmer and her fingers stretched out to take the mana stone in it. Chapter 114: The Loving Welcome of a Wife (1) Chapter 114 ¨C The Loving Wee of a Wife (1) For the next three days, Max was immersed in the book that Ruth introduced her to. The task was taken very seriously by this dedicated disciple. She didn¡¯t stop until her head spinned, or she had to visit Rem in the stables tob its mane. Sifting through pages, memorizing, revising¡­this also acted as a nice diversion since it was now a full week after Riftan had left for the goblin hunt .Max felt a little nervous about the huntsting longer than expected. Warm winters have described Anatol. However in the past few days there has been a sharp decline in temperatures, one had to break the ice even to scoop up the well. Her anxiety was multiplied by this sudden cold spell. It was heartbreaking just imagining Riftan crouching and sleeping on the icy ground in the freezing wind while she slept on a soft, warm bed. While the one responsible for it was toiling away in the harshest conditions, she felt guilty about the luxury she was living in. She was absorbed in the book, and she checked every now and then that she did not see Riftan riding outside the window on a horse. In the vast garden, there was nothing but a dreary breeze, adding to her bleakness. Two more days had passed before the suppression force returned. It was noon after that, Max was holding the mana stone in her hands, struggling to feel the flow of Mana. She was so focused on the act that she jumped upon hearing the announcement of the Lord¡¯s Arrival. She dashed out at once, glimpsing the riders entering the garden, and her pace quickened down the stairs as she saw Riftan at the helm. Mounted on a splendidbat charger, Riftan jumped from the horse, catching sight of the sprinting figure. Max¡¯s blood heated with excitement as she neared the handsome man. Calling out to him, she pounced right into his wide arms, buried herself in the thick robes, without any care for those around. Delighted, Riftan burst intoughter and wrapped her in his strong arms tightly. The cold armor gave her goosebumps behind her neck, but she had not the slightest intention of wanting to shake it off. With her red eyes, she looked up at him, rubbing her face against his loose robes. His hair was a mess after almost ten days of camping, and even though his face was rough, he still looked incredibly good. Max lifted her hand and stroked his cold, frozen cheek gently. ¡°W-wel-wee back¡­ D-did you g-get h-hurt¡­.?¡± Herst words said anxiously and with worry. Max took a breath of urgency, fearful that she had misspoken. He held her around the neck and pushed his tongue deep into her mouth. The feeling of arge soft tongue sliding through the soft mucous membrane¡­ Max clenched his shoulders and let out a moan. Heat rose from her body, as if she was suffering from fever. Like a cat, she clung to him not wishing to let go. Right at that moment, Hebaron, Gabel, Yurixion, Garow, and the rest of the expedition team came into her view from above his shoulders. Only then did Max hasten to push him away, grumbling at her own audacity. But in Riftan¡¯s embrace, she couldn¡¯t even move slightly. Like a drunk man crushing a rough chin on her neck, he murmured. ¡°Had I known such a passionate wee was waiting, I would have set the mountain on fire and ran right back.¡± He groaned then pressed his lips on her cheek. Max was red to the top of her head. She could not bear the embarrassment of her thoughtless conduct. What was she thinking running into his embrace in full view?! But he didnt care, and incessantly peppered her cheeks and necks with kisses. Her eyes were stinging, her face tearful. She whispered, ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­ Eve-everyone is wa-watching.¡± ¡°I know¡± Even so, he did not have the slightest intention of stopping. ¡°Y-you know¡­..¡± She wouldn¡¯t let him continue, now that she was conscious of the surroundings. The man breathed out a deep sigh, held her in one arm, and turned his head toward the knights standing in the back. ¡°Those who have participated in the hunting will be excluded from all duties for the next week. I¡¯ll send someone to wait on you, so you can rest as much as you like.¡± He dered. Hebaron grinned sarcastically, rubbing his lips, ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll disband on our own, so you can put out the fire right away.¡± It was so hot that steam rose from the top of her head. Despite Hebaron¡¯s brazen teasing, Riftan turned around and rode up the stairs holding her in his arms. Max was begging him to let her down, but he wasn¡¯t even trying to listen to her. He went into the hall at once and shook his head impatiently to Rodrigo and the other servants who hade to greet him. He instructed them, ¡°Take good care of my horse, and bring bathwater and food to those who have been hunting. ¡°¡­ Very well, my lord. Would Your Lordship like a bath?¡± Rifan frowned just then, realizing the mess of sweat and dust that he was. ¡°Yes. Bring it right away.¡± Rodrigo bowed his head calmly and then backed away. The servants standing behind him kept their cool and followed suit. Max was just thankful that they didn¡¯t see her in their lord¡¯s arms like a child. Chapter 115: The Loving Welcome of a Wife (2) Chapter 115 ¨C The Loving Wee of a Wife (2) ¡°I¡¯ll have a mealter. Just bring a change of clothes.¡± He gavest instructions and strode up the stairs. Finally, when the door closed behind her back, Riftan put her down and began pouring kisses again. Max hung from his arm and gasped breathlessly. He tasted her mouth and took off his iron gloves, stroking her neck softly. With the unusual wriggling of his rough lips, her neck went numb.She buried her cheeks in his hands, where warmth emanated. Riftan yed his fingers on her disheveled hair giving out a low moan. ¡°How much I missed this touch¡­. Oh my God¡­.¡± He lowered his hand and caressed the skin under the hem of her dress greedily. Max put her hand in his robe, imitating his movements, and touched the thick chest bundled under his armor. Then Riftan breathed in roughly and pulled her hand and rubbed it against his thick neck like arge animal poking its head in and begging for a touch. ¡°Y-your b-body is so co-cold¡±, she said. ¡°No way.¡± His voice almost had a metallic tone. ¡°I think my body is on fire.¡± ¡°W-where does it h-hurt? D-did you g-get hurt?¡± she asked, nervously. ¡°I¡¯m hurt because of you.¡± With a blurry face, Max looked at his body and wondered if she had jumped in and caused the injury. Then Riftan groaned low, almost ripping the robes apart. ¡°Damn, in my whole life this has never been stiffer and tinglier.¡± Then Riftan, who hurriedly stripped off his breastte and threw it on the floor, lifted her up and pushed her to the post. Max opened her eyes wide at the strong man who was pressing down on her lower abdomen. She was wrong that the kiss of reunion, the caress of desire and love, was more like a fraternity. Riftan rubbed her hot body and sucked her lips like a very hungry person.. A slight moan escaped her lips, she held his neck tightly. The lovely move of arge dog easily rubbing itself turned into something fierce and passionate. To make her feel perfect with her excited body, he grabbed her hips and pulled them together. True to his words,his body was zing hot. ¡°Now, I have to get inside you right now!¡± his gruff voice rang. Max looked dreamily at his wet, damp lips that kissed repeatedly. He tugged her waistband off roughly, pulling her skirt and inner skirt up at once. Max wrapped her legs around his waist in line with his hands that were around her hips. He untied the straps of his trous*rs, ripped her und*erwear off and pushed in at once. Max gasped and struggled with her legs. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­¡± He stroked her thighs and slim waist under the hem of clothes he had rolled up. She clung on tightly, squeezing her waist. Riftan flinched like being kicked out and soon began to move quickly and powerfully. Max pushed her man to the brink of madness, and whenever he pressed heavily on the deepest part, he mmed his head against the post. A ferocious feeling of never getting used to it shook her over and over. Electric pulses danced along the nerves that ran over, demanding an urgent response. Max lost her senses, a cry almost escaping from her lips as he tore of the hem of her clothes. Riftan rubbed his wet lips against her forehead. ¡°Maxi¡­ a little more. Almost there. Almost the¡­¡± Max looked up at his red face with tears. In the midst of his wild breath, Riftan wrapped her head with one hand and poured out a swarm of voracious kisses. His tongue and his manh*od filled her whole body. Max groaned like an angry cat. She was worried that Riftan, who had reached his peak, would copse. Twice¡­.Thrice¡­ He pushed himself all the way and trembled. Max stretched her toes at a deafening climax. Riftan held her hips and stood motionless until the frantic heat subsided. ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt you, did I?¡± Only when the tremble had calmed down a little, he lifted his head that was stuck to the bedpost, and muttered in a hoarse voice. Max only stared nkly at him in a daze¡­ Riftan muttered in a rough voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to be this rough ¡­.¡± Heid her down on the floor and stared at her with a concerned face. With her frail legs, Max barely held out and shook her head. ¡°I-I a-am¡­ O-kay¡­¡± she said, her cheeks flushed and her eyes misty. ¡°That¡¯s your favorite phrase.¡± He grabbed her swaying waist and held her upright. Max stared nkly as he pulled down her skirt again, unable to snap out of the peak aftertaste. The husband had the right to get it from his wife whenever he wanted. It didn¡¯t matter if it hurt her or she hurt him because she was like his property and belonged to him. Nevertheless, he always cared about her feelings. Max spat out in a tight voice. ¡°I-It really¡­.didn¡¯t hurt..¡± ¡°Okay. Now, let¡¯s get it right¡­.¡± Right then came a hesitating knock at the door.. Chapter 116: A Warm Winter (1) ¡°M-Lord¡­ I prepared a bath. What should I do?¡± Max was feeling extremely embarrassed as the maid¡¯s young voice ran into her ear. She wasn¡¯t listening outside that door, was she? Leaving her on the verge of death with shame, he calmly pulled his pants up and opened the door. Max hid behind the bed quickly and covered herself with a nket, not daring to even peek. The maids filled the bathtub with hot water after a while, arranged to change towels and clothing, and then went outside. After checking that they had disappeared, Max sneaked her head out. She caught Riftan taking off the rest of his armor, clothes and step in the bathtub next to the firece. ¡°Maxi¡­e here.¡± He reached out a hand to her. Max stared at his ck hair, water dripping down. Putting his arm on the bathtub, Riftan grinned as if he was tempting a timid cat. He said in a husky voice, ¡°I¡¯m so tired that I can¡¯t even lift a hand. Please wash me¡±. ¡°Li-lies¡­¡± She shook her head, not believing the man one bit. ¡°I¡¯ve been sleeping in the mountains for ten days. My whole body aches and my toes are numb. Help me, please.¡± He grumbled about his struggles. Max crawled out of bed and approached him, although it seemed clear that he was bluffing. Riftan easily pulled her down by the arm, pressed his lips on her palm, and rubbed her cheek, not missing a second. ¡°Take off your clothes ande in here.¡± he gently ordered. Riftan urged with a voice containing impatience as the heartbeat pumped again. ¡°I¡¯m still short of you. Hurry up.¡± Max looked at him with trembling eyes. How dare she disobey those words? Max began to undress slowly. She undid the dress¡¯s strap, put it on the floor, pulled the undergarments down, took the stockings off, and hung it on the chair. Riftan stared at the figure with burning ck orbs, not missing a single movement. She finally took off the tattered underw@ar and carefully entered the bathtub. He got close, grabbed her waist and buried his lips in the swollen right dune. Max instinctively grabbed his wet, shiny hair and gasped. In the stomach, fire shot up again as fiery lips wriggled sensibly on the skin. He sat her carefully on hisp, and, n!pped gently at her corbone. Max mo@ned and sped his face. When a near-painful pleasure scratched down the spine painfully, she could not tell if she wanted to pull it off or pull it closer. ¡°You want me too, right?¡± He whispered, holding her bre@st. Max said nothing, only her face turned red. That was enough for an answer. Riftan¡¯s eyes are content and full of desires¡­ aroused by intense emotions that cannot be described in words. He swallowed her lips, spread her legs, and came in again with her legs apart. She was helplessly dissolved in the arms of an insatiable man. Riftan did not allow for even a moment of respite,trying to relieve all her desires. He kissed her from head to toe, bit her softly, tasted her; his lips were within reach of every inch of her body. He pulled himself in after so much burning, and he owned her until she was in trouble. Max couldn¡¯t keep her head up to the endless clim@x. When he finally cleared all his passions and hung himself on the bed, she felt like she wanted to thank heaven. ¡°Ri-Riftan, are you n-not¡­ t-tired?¡± Max was exhausted and lying on his chest. His fingers gently stroked her back and his face was satisfied. He said with a tired sigh, ¡°Maxi, if you make a feast in front of a man who has been starved for days and days¡­ what do you think will happen?¡±. Max looked up at him with dim eyes. He wiped her lips over her shoulder. ¡°I was about to faint from fatigue, but now I¡¯m wide awake.¡± He nibbled at her shoulders and neck as if he wanted to eat her. Max shrugged her head and red at him with a frown. ¡°I a-am not a m-meal¡­¡± ¡°Looks so appetizing.¡± He rubbed his lips over her shoulders and stroked the sensitive part of her neck. With a true fright, Max swooped into the quilt.Riftan chuckled and wrapped her closely in it, seeing the burrowing figure.When a peal of heart-rendingughter hit her ears, a thrilling shudder shook her body. She rubbed her head against his chest in a burst of happiness. It felt like a blessing in and of itself to her, being able to share such a close and affectionate moment with someone. ¡°Since I¡¯ve cleaned up the mountain area while I was out, I won¡¯t be emptying thend any more until the winter is over.¡± Riftan murmured tiredly, stroking her head with his big hand. ¡°Let¡¯s take it easy for a while. When it gets a little warm, you can go horseback riding again¡­ You could go see the westke. It¡¯s pretty good even in winter.¡± Chapter 117: A Warm Winter (2) Chapter 117 ¨C A Warm Winter (2) ¡°I w-want to s-see it.¡± Her voice whispered with hints of joy. ¡°It¡¯s too cold now, let¡¯s go if it gets a little hot.¡± His voice also subsided little by little. Finally he sumbed to exhaustion. Max waited until he sunk deep into his sleep, then embraced his waist stealthily. Riftan hugged her face to face naturally. The lovely warmth seemed to fill the big void in her heart. Only then did she realize how hungry she was for affection. Because he filled her, she noticed she was empty. Max felt joy and fear both at the same time. She could no longer deny that he upied the deepest part of her heart. Riftan may have deeply wound her soul, or may havepletely deprived her of her energy to live. If he no longer wanted her, she would have to live the rest of her life in the void. Just imagining such a miserable future made her dizzy. She looked up at his sleepy face peacefully with terrified eyes. Apletely different kind of fear came to mind in one corner of her mind, such that she had never felt for her father. Even though she was exhausted, Max couldn¡¯t fall asleep easily. Riftan went out early in the morning to check for problems at the castle. It wasn¡¯t until noon that Max woke up, washed her face and groomed herself. Winter clothes are ready, so there was no more work left for her to pay attention to in Calypse Castle. Max decided to go back to the book that Ruth had given her to read and sat at her desk. There was ate breakfast set up next to the books stacked up by Rudis. ¡°I prepared food that is easy to eat while reading a book.¡± Max smiled and thanked Rudis for her care. The tray contained a small crepe with grape jam, an oatcake with walnuts and warm milk with honey. Max opened a thick book on her desk, flipped the pages, putting a small piece of bread in her mouth. It was not very difficult to understand the contents of the book. Perhaps because Ruth has chosen the right book for her level. Max worked hard on the parchment, stepping through the basic theories in her head. A few days after having started her studies, she already had a bunch of parchment that she wasted this way. But she didn¡¯t feel like she was bing a wizard or any changes. She wondered if someone could do magic just by studying like this. When she opened her eyes in doubt, she heard a knock on the door. Max closed the book and turned her head. ¡°W-Who is it?¡± She looked at the door and said. ¡°It¡¯s me. I¡¯ming in.¡± Since it was Riftan, she hurriedly set aside the book and parchment. He opened the door and stepped in, wearing ck robes that reached down to his knees. Even when she was in the same castle, it was unusual to face him in broad daylight, so she was happy to see him. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Riftan kissed her forehead and whispered sweetly. Max nodded shyly. ¡°I-I am so-sorry I woke up lte..¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡± Looking down at her, his gaze was very gentle. ¡°B-But, Ri-Riftan you w-wake up and I a-am still sl-sleeping¡­.¡± ¡°I told you, you don¡¯t have to worry. You don¡¯t have to fit into my lifestyle.¡± Max was a little sad as the tone of his voice seemed to draw a line. She shook her head. He must be saying that to show he cares for me¡­ she thought to herself. Comforting her, he wrapped his arms around his shoulders and touched the hem of her dress with his palm. ¡°Aren¡¯t your clothes too thin?¡± He didn¡¯t seem to like it. ¡°It¡¯s o-okay. I am wearing thickyers inside.¡± She reassured him. ¡°Come here.¡± He pulled closer, opened the box, and put her hand on a velvet cape. Max opened his eyes. ¡°W- Where are we g-going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to get out of the castle. Follow me. I want to show you something.¡± Riftan grabbed her hand and went out of the room. Max followed after him without knowing what was going on. He went down the stairs to the kitchen, then through the side door. In the cool air, she curled herself up. Noticing it, he quickly wrapped around her shoulder and put a hat on her head. ¡°It¡¯s cold,isn¡¯t it? Hang in there a bit,¡± he said softly. Max wondered where he was leading her. She could only see bare trees and shabby walkway. She reined in her curiosity and quietly followed him along the icy road. He turned to the back of the castle and entered the wide stable located among the trees. She slipped off her hat from the warm atmosphere. The horse smelled terrible, but the stable was well maintained and quitefortable with a thorough wind. ¡°A-are we here to s-see the horse?¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Riftan ced his forefinger on her lips. A startled Max agreed to shut up. What the hell is going on? She inwardly rolled her eyes. Riftan pulled her arm and carefully stepped into the stable. Chapter 118: What I Desire (1) Chapter 118 ¨C What I Desire (1) She continued walking past the grunting horses into the innermost area with a curious look on her face before she reached Riftan¡¯s warhorse, Talon. Max was a little more fearful of these bigger built horses than other horses, so she trailed closely behind Riftan, hardly leaving some gap between the two. To soothe her, Riftan patted her back to soothe her and she started to walk towards where Talon was bound. Max, who had been nervously trotting along, now marched with confidence, eyes wide open and concentrated. Something had groaned on top of the mound of straws next to the warhorse. ¡°I found it this morning as I was visiting Talon.¡± Riftan leaned in close to her ears and muttered. Max looked closely at the little creatures lying on top of the pile of straws. Three palm-sized kittens were lying curled up on top of the dry straws there. Riftan knelt down softly. ¡°We don¡¯t know where the mother is.. When Talon was in a hasty rush, he found these guys nestled on this pile.¡± ¡°Oh No! Do you think the mo-mother ab-abandoned her own children?¡± ¡°It seems like it. I asked all the stables and there was no signs of cats entering or leaving. It seems that a stray cat secretly gave birth and just left them. Talon seems to have gotten his bedroom stolen.¡± Riftan gently patted the back of the ck horse who was kicking the ground impatiently. Max was amazed that Talon hadn¡¯t just stomped all over on the little kittens at the sight. Riftan¡¯s warhorse seemed very enraged. Max looked up at Talon with suspicion, wondering if he would change his mind, and as curiosity overtook her, she walked towards the pile of straws to take a closer look at the three kittens. All three had different colors. One was white with gray stripes all over its the fur, and the other was ck, as if someone had ink spilled all over it. Thest kitten was so white that it looked like it was covered in flour. Max suppressed her desire to embrace them tightly and looked up at Riftan. ¡°C-Can I .. can I touch them?¡± ¡°Do what you want to do.¡± Riftan gently leaned against the pir and smiled warmly. Once Max received permission, she carefully started to pet the little kittens. Under the soft, fluffy fur she could feel their small and fragile bones. Max frowned. When she saw how skinny all three of them were, she felt sorry for them. ¡°It¡­ It do-doesn¡¯t look like they were a-able to e-eat much..¡± ¡°Shall we take them to a room and feed them a bit of milk?¡± ¡°Ca-Can we really do that?¡± Max stared up at Riftan with an innocent expression of hope. He just grinned, bending over to lightly brush his lips across her cheeks. ¡°You can do whatever you want. You don¡¯t have to ask me for permission.¡± ¡°T-then¡­ I¡­ I want to take them to my room.¡± She murmured in a quiet, shaky voice as she softly held one of the little kittens in her arms. As Max took it back to her room, the kitten squirmed softly at the mild turbulence. It was so delicate that it looked like the tiny creature could be killed by some slight amount of pressure. She wrapped the kitten in a cloak and embraced it gently. The other two were taken by Riftan and embraced in his own arms. ¡°We should look for a small basket for these little guys to sleep in.¡± ¡°Ru-Rudis. If we talk to Rudis, surely w-we will be able to find one.¡± Max was afraid that the harsh winter winds would cause the kitten to fall ill, so as they continued towards the stable, she hugged the kitten protectively and closely to her chest. As she listened to the kitten breathe in and out softly, a sudden sorrow swept her heart. ¡°I-it¡¯s m-my first time t-taking care of a c-cat in m-my r-room.¡± ¡°Is it Really?¡± ¡°My Fa-father didn¡¯t r-really li-like animals.. H-he wo-wouldn¡¯t even l-let a wa-watchdog e-enter the c-castle..S-so I used to a-always sneak dogs or c-cats in to p-y with t-them.¡± Riftan gently looked down at her. Max was so excited that she didn¡¯t notice the strange way that he looked at her. He said in a soft, and gentle voice. ¡°Should I also bring you a watchdog?¡± Max¡¯s eyes widened and she shook her head back and forth. ¡°I-It¡¯s okay.H-having them is e-enough for m-me.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s any dog you want, there is no reason to hold back.¡± His voice suddenly became empowered. Max noticed his sudden discontent appearance. She wondered what could have caused his mood to suddenly change like this. Riftan, who was looking forward, spoke in a nervous and tense tone of voice. ¡°When we were at the Croix Pce¡­ No, even after the day you first came, I said I would make you live more luxuriously. While you lived with me, you told me you get angered at the thought of all the things you wanted, but couldn¡¯t have.¡± Max shed an embarrassed littleugh. It seems that his opposition to Duke Croix was greater than she thought. In a slight mumble, she replied, as though a big thorn had been stuck in her throat. ¡°Re-really¡­ I¡¯m o-okay. If there is a-anything I really want, I¡¯ll let you know r-right a-away.¡± Unsatisfied, Riftan raised his eyebrows a bit before sighing deeply and continuing to walk with her. Max followed behind Riftan slowly as she gently pet the little kitten who stretched its ws in her warm loving embrace. Chapter 119: What I Desire (2) Chapter 119 ¨C What I Desire (2) As soon as Rudis saw the kittens, he said, ¡°Oh!¡± in amazement. She immediately put a cloth in a basket of reeds to make a small nest for them. Max gentlyid the kittens in a small warm basket, while Riftan slightly warmed the goat¡¯s milk. He poured some into a spoon and gently ced it towards their mouth and they rushed towards it. Max took the cushion and put it on the floor. She sat down and watched Riftan feed the kittens lukewarm milk. They drank till they were full, and after they were satisfied, they purred and nuzzled their heads under his big hands. ¡°What will you name them?¡± Riftan asked Max, gently stroking the soft fluffy cat with his fingertips. She watched the kittens as they stretched their limbs at the touch of his hand in a bit of envy. In no time she pulled out of him and looked up to him in amazement. ¡°I-I can n-name them?¡± ¡°You stay in the room longer. It would be best for them if you were the one to name them, don¡¯t you think?¡± After a long hesitation and struggling to speak, she finally opened her mouth. ¡°T-the cat with the s-stripes, I will n-name him Ron, the wh-white cat R, a-and this bl-ck cat Roy¡± ¡°Ron, R, Roy?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s the n-names of the 3 fairy brothers in a n-narrative.T-the story I was t-told as a little g-girl l-long ago just came to t-thought¡­.¡± Riftan smiled faintly at her small exnation, and his fingertips picked up the fluffy ck cat. ¡°It looks a little too tacky to be a fairy, doesn¡¯t it? ¡± The cat suddenly raised his ws and, in rebellion, wielded its paws. At the slightest attack, Riftan burst intoughter. ¡°Looks like this little guy knows how to be feisty.¡± ¡°Yo-you can¡¯t an-annoy w-weak an-animals¡± ¡°Who said I was annoying them?¡± Riftanined andid the cat back down. Max moved the basket to a ce that was neither too hot nor too cold, and then ced a small ball of thread next to them. The cats started ying with the ball of thread, biting and wing at it until they soon fell fast asleep from expending a lot of energy. Max looked down at their small stomach as they inhaled and exhaled with short breaths. She bent down and rubbed the underside of one of their chins carefully. He took a long, satisfying breath in happiness. As Max was looking down lovingly at the cats, Riftan suddenly grabbed her arms and pulled her towards him. Max turned around and looked up at him, wondering what had just happened. He ced a cushion between the pir and himself, leaned back to sit and then tapped his thigh. ¡°Come and sit here.¡± Max¡¯s face turned bright red. She knew very well what that secretive lowered tone of voice meant. The pleasures of sharing intimacy with him felt good, but she hesitated because she thought it might be a bit too much in this situation. Riftan raised one eyebrow and smiled at her hesitation. ¡°I just want to hold you in my arms. Don¡¯t be nervous and juste here.¡± She hesitated for a bit longer, then slowly approached him. Riftan lifted her up, sat her in his firm thighs, and leaned her head against the concave part of his neck and shoulder. In perfect harmony, leaningfortably against him, Max gently curled her toes with satisfaction in his embrace. Riftan gently wrapped one arm around her knees and pulled her in closer. His other hand gently traced the back of her spine slowly. Max, who felt like a small chick nestled in the crook of its mother¡¯s embrace, burst out in a small chuckle. ¡°Yourugh is adorable.¡± There was an inevitable tone of satisfaction in his voice as he spoke. Just as he had lightly caressed the young kittens, he lightly brushed his fingertips up and down her back before he gently massaged the nape of her neck. Max barely swallowed her soft moans and a heavy, ecstatic thrill swept through her body. Riftan gently squeezed her cheeks between the palm of his hands and gently caressed them before he pressed his lips against her forehead in a gentle kiss. A surprisingly peaceful and rxed atmosphere surrounded the two. She feltpletelyfortable and at ease. She was so rxed, that all she could hear were the sound of his steady heartbeat, the rattling in the wind, and the mes licking the firewood in their silence. After a while of staring deep into the crackling mes in the firece, Riftan opened his mouth and spoke. ¡°Did you enjoy living in Anatol?¡± Max was dazed by the warm air, as if she were drunk, and wondered at the question, gently raising her head to look up at Riftan. Riftan looked at her with no particr expression, but in his eyes she could see a hint of anxiety hidden within. ¡°Is there really nothing that is diforting? Something that you¡¯recking¡­.?¡± ¡°T-there is nothing that I a-am-cking¡­ And no-nothing that ma-makes me feel un-ufortable.¡± Max shook his head quickly back and forth. Life in Anatol was perfect. For the first time in her life, she seemed to have finally found where she really belonged. There is always someone who needs her, she is surrounded by kindness everywhere, and everyone is willing to listen to her story. Most of all, right next to her, there was this person who would hold her and kiss her. There could be nothing more satisfying than that. Like a newborn baby, she leaned against his chest and curled herself up tightly into his arms. ¡°I¡­ I like it here.¡± He stopped breathing for a second, and then embraced her even tighter to him, enough for it to even be painful to her. Her ribs were squeezed tightly and breathing became a bit difficult, but she didn¡¯t let out a singleint. If it was Riftan, she didn¡¯t care how tightly he held her, even if it were to feel like her bones would break. His light touch and caresses along her back, the sounds of his fast and loud heartbeart, and his masculine body odor, everything was lovable to her. Chapter 120: Girl in the Mirror (1) Chapter 120 ¨C Girl in the Mirror (1) A sweet feeling of pleasure and a little remorse welled up in her heart as Max slipped her arms around his waist. Castle Croix and Castle Calypse were continuallypared by Riftan, anxious that she would not be pleased. Riftan would have rxed if she had told the truth. Nevertheless, in order to save her pride, she kept Mum. Max muttered, firmly pressing her face against his chest, feeling guilty. ¡°Castle Calypse, w-well, it¡¯s a w-wonderful ce.¡± A troubled smile appeared on Riftan¡¯s face, but the woman continued to praise him even though she did not believe him. ¡°Well, the wa-walls look mag-magnificent and powerful, so I¡¯m re-relieved¡­ The castle is on the hillside, with a nice view of Anatol looking out the window. There are a lot of mountains, so¡­ the whole scenery is beautiful. The servants are fri-endly and po-lite. Tr-reated kindly¡­¡± She hurriedly continued, realizing that thest words seemed like the servants of Castle Croix were not kindly treated. ¡°Above everything, the chefs at Castle Calypse are excellent. I-so it¡¯s de-delicious, whatever they make, that¡­. ¡° Max, who was going to say that after she got here she had gained weight, kept her mouth shut. She was afraid that when he learned that, he would think she¡¯d be fat. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious¡­that?¡± For a moment, Max paused before answering, ¡°The mealtime; it¡¯s fun! The-there are so many different dishes¡­ the desserts are great as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d the food suits your taste.¡± He grinned and stroked around her neck, reassuringly. Max, feeling a lot lighter, buried her face in his shoulder again and rubbed her head with it. Riftan groaned, and her ear between his fingers. Suddenly, the atmosphere became romantic, their backs arching as the sound of a knock on the door cut through the intimate air that drifted between them. In a low voice, Riftan mumbled his displeasure, then asked in a blunt tone, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Gabel Raxion. We are all in the conference room now.¡± Riftan let out a deep sigh. ¡°I will be there soon.¡± ¡°Then, I will be on my way¡± Troubled, until the sound of voices had died away, Riftan sat still. Max sat on the cushion and gazed at him. Even the soundly sleeping cats crept out of the basket to check if they felt a bit bustling. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter in the evening. We¡¯ll have dinner in the hall, so I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Riftan looked at her face, which was glowing red under the light, and ced a kiss on her cheek. ¡°Goo-goodbye¡­ go forward¡± He got up from the floor, put his robe on, and walked away. Max stood up, took out some of the goat milk, and fed the cats purring by her feet. Until the cats were quiet, she rolled the yarn, then she opened a book she had been reading throughout the day. Time went by as she sat flipping the pages of the book in front of her desk. She stared at the ever-darkening scenery from the window, then pulled out the magic stone that she had put in the pocket of her robes. She always carried it around with her and touched it like this, but she could not feel any special changes. Max closed her eyes gently, holding the magic stone in both of her hands. She had no idea what was different between these stones and ordinary ones. She was wondering if a usible spell had to be memorized. A knock echoed just then; she heard Rudis¡¯s voice outside the entrance. ¡°Madam, before dinner, I¡¯d like to dress you up. Are you ready? ¡± ¡°It¡¯s o-okay. Yes,e in.¡± ¡°Excuse me, then.¡± After her permission, Linda, the wife of a seamster, Seric, hired by Rudis and Riftan, and two young maids who came in a few weeks ago entered the room in a single file. Max saw a pile of dresses in their hands, her eyes grew wide.Rudis set on the table a small box of ornaments and put the cats rolling around the floor in a basket so that they did not get in the way, then changed the angle of the mirror. In the meantime, Linda and the maids spread their colorful dresses out on the bed. ¡°I brought your new dress with me. It¡¯s been a long time since we had a feast, so you should dress up!¡± The wife of the seamster spoke cheerfully and unfolded a beautiful navy blue dress. Standing on her feet with a shocked expression, Max unknowingly eximed. A dark navy dress, almost ck, appeared to light up, a blue glowing from it. It looked pretty magical as Linda kept the shimmering skirt wide open. Then a delicate, ivory dress apanied by a green one embroidered with golden threads unfolded. ¡°How do you like it? We made these dresses with great care,¡± said a beaming Linda, seemingly proud of the creation of her husband. Max murmured with fascination, ¡°I-it¡¯s s-so bea-beautiful.¡± Ishinda, a chirpy maid, gave her a slight nudge and said with a lot of excitement, ¡°Try it on, Madam, I¡¯m sure everyone will be amazed at dinner. Which one would you like to try on first? Try this green dress first! I¡¯m sure your hair color would go along with it.¡± The maid came up with a dress before Max could respond. She soon changed her clothes and thus the words of the maid were proved correct-the green dress seemed to fit very well with her hair colour. The skirt¡¯s long, ruffled hem seemed elegant, and it was indescribably wonderful with the vine-patterned embroidery. Chapter 121: Girl in the Mirror (2) Chapter 121 ¨C Girl in the Mirror (2) In front of the mirror, Max slowly turned around, staring at herself. Linda was attentively following her, not wanting to miss any reactions. She gave her another dress, and a maid helped her change. Max sent out a pleasant ¡°oh¡± feeling the texture of the fabric. The maids made a fuss around whenever they wore essories or new headdresses with long veils. ¡°I think this dress suits you best. What do you think of it, Madam?¡± asked Linda after dressing her in a pearl-white dress with a golden belt. Max looked into the mirror. A tall woman, adorned with-shaped diamond nes and topaz rings, dressed in gold-embellished shoes, stood somewhat modestly under an elegant shiny outfit. Max¡¯s eyes shone with excitement at her appearance. She looked great like any other member of the royal family. She looked glorious. ¡°I-I like this one the most.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll start working on your hair. I think it¡¯s better to braid it. Shall we put a with pearls on it?¡± asked Rudis. ¡°No, it would be much better to have two thin braids on either side and then adorn with pins!¡± Rudis skillfullybed her hair as per Linda¡¯s words, braiding it on both sides, and then poked a pin with a walnut-sized point at the top of the ear. She let her long, voluminous tresses cascade on her back. Max stared at her red hair curling over the white dress with admiration. What kind of magic did they do? Her curly hair looks very sleek and stunning. ¡°Madam, you look so lovely! ¡± The maids squealed in delight when they saw her dolled up. ¡°It¡¯s like the Nymph of Light! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be surprised to see it, right?¡± one of them stated. ¡°I am sure he will be happy. You look better than ever.¡± Added another. Max blushed up to the roots of her hair with the unfamiliarpliment. She murmured in a low voice shyly. ¡°Tha-tha-thank you.¡± ¡°Is there something that you don¡¯t like or that you¡¯re dissatisfied with?¡± Asked Linda, a little anxious. ¡°Oh no! Oh, it¡¯s very cofortable¡­I-I like it.¡± Linda nodded in satisfaction at her answer and finally draped a dark wine-colored velvet cape over her shoulder. Max was very much enjoying the graceful appearance at the moment. Rejoicing, she instructed the maids to take good care of the cat, then left the room. The hall was decorated with the shadows of a dark night. Max walked along the corridor that servants had brightly lit with Rudis close behind. Riftan¡¯s mere return seemed to have brought life to the quiet castle. The scent of fried food and sweet liquor wafted through the cool air, and under the stairs, a loud voice echoed softly. Max carried the horn and went down the stairs past the busy servants. She saw the knights and young soldiers who sat on the long dining table, and the maids who served them, as she walked out of the wide hall and into the dining room. She nced at the knights who were busy dining, drinking, and talking, standing at the door. In the audience, a candbra released a blinding light, and the table was filled with food that was so ample that it was thought the table would split. Among them was a boy who was carving a whole boar on thergest tter and cing the slices on a te. Suddenly he looked at her and raised his hand. ¡°My Lady!¡± Yurixion, dressed beautifully in a white tunic, raced towards her with a cheerful smile. Max wasughing awkwardly. When she recalled what she had done yesterday with Riftan in front of him, she couldn¡¯t lift her head. The boy continued chatting easily, as if he didn¡¯t care at all. ¡°How have you been? As you already know, I went through the first civil war of my life with Sir Calypse. I spent the 10 most meaningful days of my life with my respected Sir¡¯s side!¡± He sounded as if he had been to a good ce for a pic, not a demon¡¯sir. Max was just embarrassed not knowing what to say. ¡°L-long time no see. D-did you get hurt¡­ Are you fine?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s okay, except for a slight bruise.¡± Yurixion smiled awkwardly, pointing at his knees. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say I was walking down the hillside, my foot got caught in the roots of a tree and I fell down. Fortunately, the ointment you gave me was so good that I didn¡¯t have to bother anyone, but I was teased by Sir Nirta.¡± ¡°Lobar, talkter. Take your seat first.¡± A knight, who couldn¡¯t see Max, yelled over his shoulder. Yurixion scratched his neck abashedly and reached out to her. ¡°Let me help you. Okay, please, this way. I¡¯ll show you the most delicious food stacked on the tray.¡± As Max ced her hand on the arm of the knight, the boy skillfully led her out of the crowd and pulled out a chair in an unexpectedly smooth move. ¡°I¡¯ll take your cape.¡± Max hesitated for a moment, holding the cape string. It was embarrassing to show herself in front of others. ¡°My Lady?¡± At Yurixion¡¯s confused gaze, she closed her eyes tightly, took off her thick cape and handed it to him. The noisy surrounding suddenly became quiet. Max could only shrug in embarrassment at their low murmurs. Chapter 122: A Drunk Beauty (1) Chapter 122 ¨C A Drunk Beauty (1) Moments earlier, the knights, who were carrying their sses and making noisy noises, were now looking at her as if caught in surprise with their eyes wide open. At the weight of their stares, Max sensed her self-esteem diminishing and she at once dropped her gaze to stare at the floor. She thinks that they felt that this kind of fancy outfit did not suit her at all, just as she expected, which is why they were staring at her so intensely. As she felt curiously scrutinized by their gaze, she felt cold sweat running down her nape. Max stopped in her movements and waited for the young boy to catch up with her. Yurixion greeted her with a wide smile before speaking. ¡°Oh My God! Your gown, it is really wonderful.¡± Heplimented her and Max¡¯s eyes lit up at hispliment. ¡°I-Is it re-really?¡± Max looked at the boy with an insecure but hopeful expression on her face. As she stared into his eyes, Max concluded that Yurixion did not seem to be lying to her. Yurixion nodded furiously, while his big shining eyes stared at her. ¡°You look just like an ancient Elf! The white dress goes really well on you. I used to be dazzled by beauty before, but today I am blind!¡± Yurixion told her excitedly and Max blushed at the exaggerated praise. The boy proceeded to pour out his praises enthusiastically at her as she was about to return thepliment, that he too looked good in his clothes. ¡°You are Sir Calypse¡¯s wife, the world¡¯s number one knight. For a moment, I was mesmerised! Even the arrogant Nimfish would blush with jealousy at your loveliness.¡± In a moment of joy, Max could feel her cheeks reddening all the way up to the nape of her neck. It seemed funny to her because it was not possible for the young boy to see beauty that never existed in the world. Yurixion did not stop giving herpliments as they walked towards their table. Max immediately sat on the chair when they arrived, fighting back the desire to shut Yurixion¡¯s mouth, but the boy was quite unabashed and continued talking. Yurixion proceeded to offer her cheerful praises, perhaps not feeling any embarrassment at all, as he pulled out a chair directly beside her. ¡°It¡¯s such a waste. If you had participated in the royal ball in this way, you would have entranced all the knights and their wives would gather angrily outside the pce!¡± ¡°T-Thank you¡­.¡± replied Max shyly. She looked down at the round te in front of her, murmuring those words in a voice that she could hardly even drag out of her mouth. Around her, the silence of the knights made her feel so awkward and ufortable. She wasughing at the boy¡¯s exaggerations of her appearance to outsiders, but inside, her sweat poured secretly under her dress. Yurixion began to give her some food in haste. ¡°Mydy, I will be by your side to assist you. Do you have any favorite food? They¡¯re all delicious, but they¡¯re especially roasted.¡± Max felt relieved that the subject had be normal, sighed, and looked around the room looking for the face of her husband. ¡°Thank you. By the way¡­ ¡­where¡¯s Sir Ca-Calypse?¡± Max asked. ¡°Sir Calypse is still in the conference room. We are still nning and are discussing the movements of the monsters with some of the knights.¡± ¡°The move-movements of m-monsters¡­ ?¡± This sparked Max¡¯s interest. ¡°Suddenly, the monsters from the northwest started moving south.¡± At the sudden sound of a voiceing from her back, Max turned her head. Sir Nirta, who was dressed in in clothes, met her gaze. He was standing right behind her and he looked up and down at her. Max noticed that he did so with a strange expression on his face, and he soon flopped down on a chair next to her after he had done this. ¡°Trolls are showing signs of moving to the Anatorium, so the leader is discussing countermeasures with the wizard. First of all, they told us to have a meal together becauseter it¡¯s going to be a long discussion.¡± Nirta responded in a fore-bonding tone and immediately Max¡¯s brows suddenly furrowed. The unexpected story clouded Max¡¯s face. Hebaron continued his speech as Max processed the new information, while filling his ss with wine in a manner that discarded formality. Max dropped her fork and decided to listen to his words. ¡°That¡¯s why the goblins were bigger than expected. I spent a lot of time exploring the mountains in the north because it seemed like something had happened to the demons¡¯ ecosystem.¡± Hebaran told the crowd and as knights started whispering at each other, gasps suddenly filled the room. ¡°De-demons in A-anatol? ¡­ you mean they-they¡¯re coing?¡± Max suddenly asked. ¡°It would be better to say that they started moving south than that they wereing here. It¡¯s just a guess, but ording to the testimony of the monsters¡¯ hunters who came across the mountain¡­.¡± Max gave a somber look to Nirta at that moment. He abruptly shut his mouth when Nirta saw the darkening of her face and decided to end the conversation. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head and added in finality. ¡°I¡¯ve said a lot of useless things. It¡¯s nothing to worry about, ma¡¯am. Even if the demons areing in, Anatol is as safe as an iron can, as long as there are Knights of the Remdragon.¡± Max could hardly rx even with his assurance. The horrendous images of the guards and loggers who were seriously injured in the Werewolf¡¯s raid came to her mind. As the number of demons increases, such things will happen more often. Max slipped a hand into the pocket of her cloak to hold on to the mana concealed in it. The resolve she had to learn magic became stronger. It would be better than nothing, if not of great help. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on studying for tomorrow,¡± Max said firmly to herself. Yurixion began to speak cheerfully again beside Max, as if to enliven the subdued atmosphere. ¡°Deardy, don¡¯t have such a dark face and try these delicious foods. The roast boar of the chef is really excellent. The skin is crispy and the flesh is juicy and extremely soft and moist! If you cut the meat intorge pieces and dip it in a thick chamelein sauce, you¡¯re going to be so enticed that you can¡¯t focus on other things.I daresay you won¡¯t even notice if one of us drops dead at this instance!¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ Well, it looks re-really good,¡± Max replied. ¡°Right? The nutmeg-infused dove and fried cinnamon cookies are also amazing. Try them.¡± Yurixion packed her te full of food. Max pushed the food into her mouth little by little at his suggestion. It was really as good as he said. Max forgot her worries and began to indulge in her delicious meal. Nirta, who nced at her while drinking, filled her ss with wine. ¡°I am going to choke drinking all this wine on my own. Let¡¯s have a drink together.¡± Nirta told her as he pushed her ss towards her which was now filled with wine. ¡°Thank you.¡± Feeling touched by his rare act of kindness, Max gulped down the wine in one shot. Chapter 123: A Drunk Beauty (2) Chapter 123 ¨C A Drunk Beauty (2) When Nirta saw it, he raised one eyebrow and refilled the wine ss. ¡°You seem to enjoy drinking. Have another drink.¡± Max suddenly realized how silly she looked, and told Nirta that in fact she never enjoyed drinking more than one or two drinks at a meal, but she closed her eyes and drank all at once because she didn¡¯t want to receive his disappointed nces like the one she saw earlier. As the warmth inside her began to spread, Max feltfortable. Max glistened lingeringly at the pleasant feeling of increasing drunkenness and continued to drink the wine Hebaron poured for her. Her drinking suddenly looked like a show and invited the onlookers toe in one by one to offer her food and alcohol. While the way they appeared to feed her like a rare species mildly annoyed her, Max could not refuse and kept drinking. She asked to herself how many times she tilted the ss to her lips, and gradually her eyes began to fade to the point where she felt strange. She began to let hups as she sped the ss with her hands tightly. Her body felt limp and shaky, the room before her eyes was dancing. She didn¡¯t know why, but suddenly she wanted to clear her head and sober up. Perhaps her appearance had appeared strange that a knight stepped in and blocked Nirta¡¯s hand from pouring more alcohol into her ss. ¡°Sir Nirta, stop filling the cup. I think thedy is already drunk enough ..¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m¡­ O-o-okayy¡­¡± Max answered. Her tongue was twisted and her pronunciation was not clear. Normally, she would have kept her mouth shut immediately because of how ashamed she was of her drunk tone, but somehow she didn¡¯t feel so embarrassed to stutter. Trapped in her drunken state, Max decided to finish all the remaining liquor in her ss at once and bravely held out her ss towards Nirta. ¡°One more drink, p-please¡­.¡± ¡°You eat very well. All right. Okay. Come on, have another drink.¡± Nirtaplimented her. Nirta¡¯s tone has now be more friendly to her. It was pleasantly satisfying the way he talked to a fellow drinker, so Max drank more happily. Smiling endlessly and shaking her body left and right, thanks to the alcohol that spilled, her sleeves got damp, but everything about her felt good. Then she heard someone burst outughing at the sight of her. ¡°That¡¯s pretty adorable. I thought you were a woman of somber and demure character.¡± Max swung her head towards the side where the sound came from, and shouted back. ¡°I am not up-uptight! You may not be a-able to d-deny it, but¡­¡± She sighed as she gulped down the wine that Nirta gave her. Suddenly, her pleasant mood quickly subsided and was reced by mncholy in an instant. ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s b-because I¡¯m not used to d-dealing with p-people. I don¡¯t speak v-very well and.. I don¡¯t know what to say. A-also the-they are all g-grown up for n-nothing. It¡¯s a li-little sca-scary when you¡¯re fa-facing him¡­ If you look it up, it looks more po-powerful than it needs to be. It¡¯s all more in-intimidating, I¡¯m not the one to b-me, but the other to b-me, it¡¯s to you! E-everyone, please lo-lower your height a li-little¡± The knights stared at her absurd request and incoherent words nkly. The only one who broke intoughter was Hebaron, Lord Nirta. ¡°Why, you think height is useless? Forbat, a big body is totally beneficial. Yours is too small. What did you do when you were little that you did not grow up?¡± Nirta asked Max. ¡°Is Lord Nirta drunk?¡± Max answered back. Undaunted by her sudden loud voice, her ss was filled again by the big knight. ¡°Now, it¡¯s not toote. You will grow like a pine tree if you drink and eat as much as I do.¡± Nirta told her. ¡°Well, shall we? I¡­ Oh, can I still be a li-little b-bigger, can I?¡± Max replied with a smile. ¡°If you grow taller, you may be more courageous and bold¡± Max looked up at him with hopeful eyes. Hebaron bragged with a big smile. ¡°I have been drinking since I was 13 and grown this much.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was such a secret in Sir Nirta¡¯s height!¡± Even Yurixion, who sat next to her and put meat in his mouth, poured a lot of alcohol into the cup and began to gulp it down. The surrounding knights who were looking at the drinking session began to cast their eyes away, as if embarrassed by them. Max didn¡¯t understand why they had such an awkward face. She tilted her head absentmindedly, wondering what they were going to do next, but instead she found herself bringing her mouth back to the ss. At that moment, a big hand suddenly reached out over her shoulder and snatched her ss away. Max looked back in astonishment. Her eyes met with Riftan who stood tall with a fearsome expression. His face turned red and his eyes were staring at her. Judging by his half-blind stare, and violently muttering at her, Max realized he was angry. ¡°Now¡­ what the hell are you doing?¡± Riftan asked her. ¡°To grow ta-taller¡­¡± Max replied with a hup. Riftan nced about the room once more before opening his mouth and his fierce eyes flew towards the knights. ¡°Can you tell me who got my wife drunk?¡± ¡°She is pretty good at drinking, so I just¡­ .¡± Hebaron answered. Hebaron scratched the back of his head and made excuses, and Riftan¡¯s face grew even more frosty. ¡°My wife has had enough of drinking.¡± Riftan announced. He gritted his teeth, andid down the ss until it banged. Then he looked menacingly around the restaurant, where silence had fallen, and announced in a cold soft voice. ¡°Eat well and keep drinking. Because you¡¯re going to use a lot of energy at the aerobatics training tomorrow.¡± The knights groaned low in unison. Riftan then walked out of the restaurant, dragging Max with him and ignoring the grumbling sounds from the other knights. Suddenly, Max¡¯s legs felt weak, and Riftan picked her up and held her, noticing her difort. She obediently wrapped her arms round his neck as Riftan held her. She had been thinking about going to bed because her eyes kept closing. Riftan attempted to lower her down when they arrived in their room, but Max buried her face deep in the nape of his neck and appeared not to hear his deep sigh as he struggled to bring her to bed. Then she felt Riftan¡¯s body flinching and stiffening. Max, who was happily intoxicated by the sensation of drinking and sleepiness, didn¡¯t care a bit. She gulped down his peculiar body odor and kissed his neck impulsively on the pulsating part of his pulse. ¡°Hey¡­.¡± Riftan breathed in surprise. As if to soothe a sulky animal, Max smiled and smoothed his hair. She gently closed her eyes while wiggling with her hands on his chest. ¡°Maxy¡­ you don¡¯t mean to sleep, do you?¡± Max moaned and buried herself deeper in his arms. Riftan looked down at the figure and fretted. ¡°How much did you drink?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Damn it, you¡¯re not teasing anyone, but why are you dressed like this?¡± He finally managed to put her body down on the bed and pulled up the skirt that had been rolled up. Max raised herself to make it easier for him to undress her. Then as soon as he took the dress off her head, sheid her head on a pillow and began to sleep in earnest. Looking down at the figure, Riftan gritted his teeth once more.. ¡°When morninges¡­ you¡¯ll see.¡± Chapter 124: Rare Praises (1) Chapter 124 ¨C Rare Praises (1) Max woke up to the cries of a cat. She reluctantly opened her heavy lids and flinched at the bright lighting through the window causing her a splitting headache. She groaned painfully as she sat down, holding her throbbing head between her hands. Her stomach felt heavy as it was full of sand, and her head had ached as if someone had been nailing her skull all night long. She frowned at the unusual difort and suddenly saw a cup full of water appear in front of her eyes. Max slowly lifted her head up. With a gloomy face, Riftan looked down at her, and she realized for the first time that there were three kittens perched on her legs that seemed to have fully regained their powers. ¡°Wake up, drunkdy¡± Riftan told her. Max stiffened as memories ofst night flooded her thoughts. Riftan handed her the ss of water which she received in shame. ¡°Yesterday was very worth seeing. I didn¡¯t know my wife was such a drinker.¡± Riftan spoke to her in a low voice. ¡°Oh,no! Y-yesterday was my first time dr-drinking like that.¡± Max replied in a faint voice. Riftan gave Max a doubtful look before sitting down on the bed beside her. She felt him breathing deeply, as if to calm his anger. Max felt even more anxious by his actions. She buried her swollen face into the sheets, but somehow Riftan¡¯s soft voice went straight into her ears, more clearly than his shouts. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you something, Maxi, if I see you drunk among the big boys one more time, I¡¯ll make you unable to walk for a while¡± Max looked up at him in astonishment. She realized that she was more surprised by the fact that his words didn¡¯t seem to frighten her at all than from the threat itself. She believes he can¡¯t do anything to her and wasn¡¯t going to harm her. ¡°Do you understand what I¡¯m trying to tell you?¡± He asked her, but he grumbled softly as soon as he saw that she did not show fear. He just seemed upset that she didn¡¯t take his words seriously. ¡°I w-wont do that a-again¡± Max promised. ¡°Seems like you are just saying that.¡± With dissatisfied eyes, he looked down at her miserable body, and soon gave a deep sigh of exhaustion. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask the maid to bring you some herbal tea that¡¯s good for relieving hangovers, so take a rest. Let¡¯s finish talking in the evening.¡± ¡°Rif-Riftan¡­¡± Max weakly called to him. ¡°Right now, I have some priority work to take care of,¡± Riftan answered, slowly getting up from his seat. He shakes the cat off his boots, puts it on the bed next to Max, and leaves the room. Max hurriedly held the cats who were bursting into tears with discontent in her arms. The high-pitched shout cry felt like a needle piercing to her brain. While she was calming the sick cats in her arms, Rudis entered the room with a teapot tray. ¡°How do you feel, madam?¡± Rudis greeted her. ¡°I am o-okay. it¡¯s nothing.¡± Max answered. In fact, she felt terrible, but yesterday¡¯s scene felt far worse than the pathetic hangover she had. Max calmed her aching stomach by sipping hot tea while trying to maintain her dignity in front of Rudis. ¡°I¡¯ll have some bath water for you. You¡¯ll feel better if you wash yourself with hot water and soothe your stomach with the chef¡¯s special egg porridge.¡± Rudis told her with a smile. Max nodded at her consideration with appreciation, relieved by the thoughtful words of the maid. ¡°I will.¡± Rudis called Max after a while, and she was greeted by a bathtub full of hot water. Max pulled her clothes off and went to the bathtub. In the warmth of the steaming hot water, she soaked herself and washed her hair with a mixture made of herbs. She enjoyed the hot bath until she felt the water turn lukewarm. Maxter changed into a new, fluffy dress. Rudis brought Max a thick boiled porridge with barley, potatoes, onions and eggs for thetter to enjoy while grooming. After Max¡¯s breakfast of that savory porridge, she sat in front of the fire and opened a book to read. Herbal tea was effective at driving her hangover away, and her headache disappeared, so she was able to look at her bookshelf and chose a book to read. ¡°Should I take the cats out?¡± Rudis asked Max. The maid must have seen her turn the pages with concentration, and was concerned about her being interrupted by the cats. Max shook her head, and she didn¡¯t want to kick the little animals out of the room. ¡°Oh, no. They-they don¡¯t bother me. It doesn¡¯t re-really m-matter to me if they stay.¡± Max responded. Then, Rudis smiled as one of the cats purred and rubbed against her. She bent down to rub the cat¡¯s ear. ¡°The ck cat is very calm. The white cat and the striped one, on the other hand, appear to be very yful. He will start moving around as soon as he finds his courage. I¡¯m sure that as you get bigger, you¡¯ll be a great mouse hunter.¡± Rudis said to the cat, Max secretly breathed a sigh of relief at her soft expression. She was worried that Rudis¡¯s work may have increased. Rudis, however, already seemed to be obsessed with little cats as well. ¡°Oh, I named them yes-yesterday. The b-ck one is Roy¡­ the white is La-Laura, and the gray-striped cat is R-Ron.¡± She realized as Max spoke that Rudis closed her eyes as if to memorize them, and whispered the names of the cats with a happy look on her face. Chapter 125: Rare Praises (2) Chapter 125 ¨C Rare Praises (2) ¡°I¡¯m going to have to show them all how to catch mice. It seems they all like their new family. For them, the chef¡¯s standards are exceptionally strong. This morning, I woke up a little early and caught him cooking a special meal for these future rat catchers.¡± Rudis said, pointing to a t bowl ced on the floor. Inside the round wooden bowl, white fish and milk were finely chopped and mixed like porridge together. Max happily watched the cats eating on a te while they dined bravely, then she concentrated on reading again. ¡°Now, once you are done with this one book, you will have read all the books that Ruth has given you. The training to feel mana is a topic where I didn¡¯t make much progress, but thanks to the step-by-step guide, I could understand a little bit about the magic concept and principle.¡± Max told herself. She took out a new piece of parchment from her leather pocket, spread it out, and opened thest page of the book while Laura, the white cat who was snuggling against her stomach, crept out and began to y tricks against her skirt. For a while, she scratched the cat¡¯s back while watching the cute scene and as the cat began to rattle violently, the letters she was reading began to dance in her head and she could no longerprehend what she was reading. Max nced at the cat with an embarrassed face. Rudis quickly picked up the cat and put it in its sleeping basket, but the heartbroken cat did not stop crying. ¡°I can take the cats out if you want, Madam.¡± Rudis suggested. ¡°Oh, no. I was just about to go to the library. I¡¯m sorry, but could you take care of them a little bit?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They will be calm soon after I feed them some milk.¡± Rudis affectionately stroked the cat, took the pot out and heated the milk in the firece. Max gave her a thankful smile before she put a robe over her clothes, took the book and went out. Finally, Max found peace in the library as she entered it after she passed through the cold corridor, as soon as she settled into her seat and began reading, she heard a familiar voice greeting her. ¡°Hello. Madam Calypse. Have you slept all night?¡± Max, who had a perplexed expression on her face, blushed at the thought of drunkennessst night. ¡°To me-mention ady¡¯s mistake and make it this shame-shameful¡­ It¡¯s not po-polite.¡± Max snapped at Ruth. ¡°Whichdy in the world drinks half a barrel alone?¡± Max red at him with a look of distrust. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I could-couldn¡¯t have drunk that much.¡± ¡°You only drank half a barrel of ale. When you add the wine, it¡¯ll be a lot more. You must be a natural drinker¡­seeing that you¡¯re fine after drinking like that. Even Nirta praised you.¡± ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. My head hu-hurt this morn-morning¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking fine.¡± ¡°Be-because I drank her-herbal tea! I¡­ I¡¯m not a drunk-drunkard!¡± Max even raised her voice and outright denied it. For a woman, there could be no more embarrassing title than being a drinker, she figured. Fortunately, as if he had no intention of making fun of her any more, Ruth shook his shoulders and sat down at his desk. ¡°Well, maybe there is a second chance for you to test your capacity for drinking.¡± ¡°That chance does-doesn¡¯t exist! I won¡¯t drink like that a-anymore.¡± Max dered. ¡°Yes, yes, I understand, you¡¯re here to study, right? Please sit down. I¡¯ll stop now. How far have you read the book?¡± For a moment, Max stared at him with discontented eyes, before sitting weakly on her desk. ¡°Now, I have only one b-book left to read. I don¡¯t understand it all, but¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve read quite a lot. Tell me what you don¡¯t know, and I¡¯ll describe it as easily as possible.¡± Max pulled out a pre-arranged bundle of parchment from her pocket. Ruth picked it up and looked over it. Max noticed that as he read the pages of her notes, he had a satisfied look on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve been studying hard for days. It¡¯s great that you¡¯re so motivated.¡± ¡±I-I just wrote down what I didn¡¯t un-understand while reading.¡± As she murmured shyly at his rare praise, Ruth coughed in vain and came back with a stern look again. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll exin. Listen closely.¡± Max quickly took out her stack of clean parchment, the quill pen and the ink bottle. Looking at her, Ruth smiled and began to exin, and every word he said was written down by Max. With Ruth¡¯s monotonous voice and the sound of her pen gliding against paper, they spent a long time inside the library. Max asked the maid to prepare a simple meal and bring it to the library for them, as her study hours grew longer. They sat face to face on the desk when their dinner arrived, eating bread and soup, and exchanging questions and answers. Max held the bread in one hand and ate it bit by bit, while busily taking in Ruth¡¯s exnation as thetter talked. With each new learning she had, Ruth became excited from time to time, and when she asked him to repeat the exnations, he exined them again, step by step patiently. He was kind to her unexpectedly, so she did not worry and tried her best to earn his reproach, even though she did not understand the topic all at once, Ruth had a generous attitude so she felt rxed and able to ask questions about anything without worrying about being wrong. ¡°It reminds me of when I was on the world tower.¡± Ruth suddenly muttered with a look of nostalgia on his face. His expression made Max wonder what he was thinking. Chapter 126: Riftan’s Envy (1) Chapter 126 ¨C Riftan¡¯s Envy (1) Max gave him a puzzled look as she handed over the bookcase. ¡°You think I came out because I hated the World Tower, don¡¯t you?¡± He was able to discern her thoughts. ¡°I didn¡¯t like the discipline, but I didn¡¯t hate it by itself. In fact, there¡¯s no other ce in the world where hundreds of great wizards can gather to hone their skills like in that ce,¡± he said in a faint longing voice. Max¡¯s curiosity had been piqued. Nornui was an unknown ind with very limited ess to outsiders. Only the wizards were allowed to enter and leave the tower while the merchants from the south and west were busy at the port. To and from knowledge had to go through the proper channels. Without a doubt, this forbidden ce exuded a mysterious aura. Countless minstrels had spread songs about the mysterious Nornui all over the continent, fascinated and enchanted by its secrecy. It¡¯s no wonder that Lady Calypse was enthralled by the tale of the runaway wizard. Since listening to the tales skillfully sung by singers, she had been lost in strange dreams about the World Tower for a long time. And now that she was in thepany of someone best acquainted, she decided to learn everything she could. ¡°D-do all wi-wizards study at the W-World Tower?¡± Her eyes glimmered with curiosity as she inquired. ¡°What do you mean-do you want to study magic by yourself at Anatol?¡± Ruth shook his head as if telling her not to ask stupid questions. ¡°In order to master the magic¡¯s properties, you must go into the World Tower and train. However, you don¡¯t have to go too far to learn the universal magic you want to learn. Most of the wandering wizards in the mercenary corps are these non-affiliated wizards.¡± Ruth scratched the back of his head as she tilted her head at the unfamiliar words, wondering if he had exined it yet. ¡°As mentioned in the introduction to wizardry, Mana is wind, water, earth, fire, light and darkness¡­ There are a total of 6 attributes. Mana has these six kinds of energy in perfect bnce¡­ The very pure mana umted in the body by extracting only one attribute is called speed mana, and the advantage of this pure mana is the ¡°magic attribute¡±. On the other hand, the ¡®universal magic¡¯ that we want to learn right now is not one attribute of mana, but an attribute of various attributes that we umte and use in our body.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the various elements be better? I think it¡¯s better to collect all the elements in the same amount,¡± he continued. ¡°No, the more unstable your mana is, the more powerful it bes. The mana that is focused on only one attribute has 10 times the power of normal mana. Let¡¯s say you have 6 bricks here. Isn¡¯t it difficult to spread evenly on the floor? That¡¯s for sure. However, you can simply knock them down by stacking bricks. As I said earlier, magic creates these dissonances in nature. It¡¯s magic that breaks the bnce and affects a well-calcted mess.¡± Max nodded and recalled the exnation of the difference between ¡®spell¡¯ and ¡®mana¡¯ she had heardst time. Spells were against thews of nature, but mana followed them. ¡°In the past, it was thought that if the body¡¯s umted mana was inclined to a certain trait, the magical power would be greater as well.¡± Ruth revealed the inside of his wrist by rolling up his sleeves. She smiled wide as if she was happy to understand. On the white skin with veins, a small enchantment, drawn in red ink, was inscribed. ¡°In order to master the attributes of magic, you need to be awarded this by the World Tower. Me.. Through this magic, I¡¯m umting pure wind-like mana in my body.¡± ¡°Well, I-I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Max said, looking down at her wrist with a touch of anticipation. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be e-easier to learn ma-magic if you engraved it on your b-body?¡± ¡°The only people who can engrave this magic are the senior wizards who live atop the World Tower, and in order for them to be given the attribute magic, they have to live and be educated in the World Tower for atleast four years. They can¡¯t get out of Nornui during that time.¡± Max drooped her shoulders with a disappointed look. Ruth clicked his tongue as though he wanted tough as he looked down at the figure. ¡°What do these attributes mean for a new chick who has just started studying the theory of magic?¡­ You¡¯re worried about learning the basics aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°W-well, it¡¯s just¡­ ah! I only asked one question.¡± Max grumbled burying her nose into the book hiding her embarrassed face. Ruth smiled and moved a few books beside Max before rising from his seat to light the fire. The sky was cloudy and a dim shadow hung over the library, despite the fact that it was still early. With tongs, he removed small embers from the furnace and lit them on a candlestick andmp. Max rubbed her tired eyes and kept reading before rising just in time; it was already evening. ¡°Are you going to the dining hall for dinner?¡± When he saw her packed books and parchment, Ruth asked mischievously. Max shook her head. She couldn¡¯t face the knightsst night because she was too humiliated by her tipsy self. ¡°I-I¡¯m going to e-eat in my room. I-I want to st-stay there re-reading all these books.¡± ¡°Calm down, Max. You haven¡¯t made that big of a mistake. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever seen a real drunkard, much less hear he gibberish they spew.¡± Ruth, who immediately saw through her excuse, spat out. He then went on to suggest. ¡°Oh, why don¡¯t you take this chance to build friendship with the knights? Everyone seems to think it¡¯s funny¡­¡± ¡°W-well.. I-I don¡¯t want to be fu-funny¡­¡± Chapter 127: Riftan’s Envy (2) Chapter 127 ¨C Riftan¡¯s Envy (2) Despite the fact she said that, she was tempted inside. He really didn¡¯t think badly about her? Suddenly, while in the midst of her musings, she heard the sound of the door opening. As she turned in the direction, she saw Riftan striding into the library without disarming himself. ¡°What have you been doing up to this hour?¡± Max was surprised by his question. Ruth replied bluntly as he was checking to see if he was still angry. ¡°What are you doing in the library?¡± Riftan frowned and looked around the desk. Next to the messy pile of books were the dishes and trays that were emptied at lunch. He held his forehead and shook his head as if dumbfounded. ¡°I heard the maids have been stuck here today¡­ Have you been reading all day?¡± ¡°Just as Lord Calypse wields a sword all day, there is a man who reads all day.¡± There was a faint displeasure looming over Riftan¡¯s face at the pompous tone. Max hurriedly packed her books, her nerves frayed by the strange environment. She said, ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡­ I was just about to get up.¡± Riftan quickly picked up the book in her arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I told them to set the table in the room.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you eat at the dining hall?¡± Riftan shot a crooked look over his shoulder because of Ruth¡¯s question. ¡°Everyone is going to be eating at the knights¡¯ quarters. I also told the servants to bring me food because I was too busy.¡± ¡°What the hell have you done to keep people froming to the dining hall with only physical strength?¡± Asked Ruth, trembling. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being so petty about my wife being drunk?¡± Max looked up at Riftan with a surprised face. Was it possible that he harshly criticized the knights for what he saw? Max shook her head feeling sorry for the knights who had been scolded because of her, but Riftan only snorted. ¡°When I saw the jar full of alcohol rise, again and again, I felt he had lost his discipline, so I imposed on him a hard training.¡± ¡°You did?¡± Ruth said sarcastically and sighed. Riftan just walked out of the library, holding Max¡¯s hand while pretending he didn¡¯t hear hisment. Max left a small greeting to Ruth and hurried down the cold corridor with the man. ¡°S-still-¡° Max was almost running to catch up as he took long strides. But after a while he paused and looked back at her. Max took the opportunity and spoke carefully. ¡°A-are you still a-angry?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°N-now¡­ I d-don¡¯t drink alcohol like that¡­ I-I won¡¯t drink t-too much from now on¡­ I-I can¡¯t believe I was so drunk, I-I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad.. yet.¡± Riftan bluntly spat out and resumed his steps. She walked quietly with him, sometimes sneaking nces at his face every now and then. Contrary to his words, his lips were sternly pursed. He was walking down the hallway silently, but when he entered the stairwell, he spat out. ¡°Are you with him every time you stay in the library?¡± ¡°What?¡± Max looked up at him in all curiousness at the sudden question, but soon she nodded slowly. ¡°R-Ruth¡­ Most of his ti-time seems to be s-spent in the l-library. We almost always run into each other.¡± Max decided not to mention that he had left the tower and is now treating the library as his dwelling ce. She thought she should at least maintain that level of loyalty. Riftan frowned faintly and asked, ¡°You behave like a saint, don¡¯t you? ¡­ He¡¯s such a naughty boy, and he often tries to get others into trouble and.. he¡¯s involved in such strange experiments too¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s m-me who is a-always bothering h-him. H-he s-seems a little strange¡­ I d-don¡¯t really k-know¡­ H-he is always t-teaching me things. E-even if it hasn¡¯t been long since he arrived¡­ h-he has been of great assistance to me.¡± Somehow Riftan¡¯s mood seemed to worsen at her answer. Max was anxious by the strange tension surrounding him. Did Riftan hate Ruth? It seemed to her that there was a lot of trust between them, even though it didn¡¯t seem like it sometimes. Max rolled her eyes wondering what to do with his look of displeasure. It wasn¡¯t until they were near the door to their chambers that Riftan asked. ¡°¡­ Do you like smart men?¡± At that moment she realized that Riftan was really offended by his wife mingling with another man. He had never been conscious of Ruth in that way, the way he never thought it would be pleasant for a husband. Max jumped up in blue, worried that she might be suspected of chastity. ¡°I-I d-don¡¯t like it! Of c-course I-I respect-him, but.. it¡¯s not like t-that! Ruth¡¯s a s-stickler! H-he¡¯s always mean and Of c-course I-I a-appreciate his help. T-There¡¯s nothing¡­ I d-dont know. I-I can count on him w-when you a-are in trouble, but¡­ I.. I mean, h-he nags a lot. It¡¯s like a n-anny¡­ Quite nosy.. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s.. I don¡¯t think Riftan should..!¡± Max, who was desperately moring to plead innocence, shut her mouth. Riftan was staring down at her. She opened and closed her mouth like a carp with her head lowered. Without looking in the mirror, she could tell her face was flushed. Her ears were burning, and she couldn¡¯t stand the silence any longer, so she made a gibberish remark. ¡°I-I mean.. H-he¡¯s reliable.. a-and he¡¯s a good r-rider.. T-the k-kind of person w-who¡¯s always nice¡­ Y-you like it or not¡­¡± ¡°I mean you¡­¡± Surprised by the thud, Max raised her head. Riftan was mming his head against the door when he let out a deep sigh, leaning against his forehead. ¡°How much weirder should I make myself feel here?¡± ¡°W-what?..¡± Riftan red at her with slitted eyes, grabbed her hand and pushed open the door. Max was led into the room by his arm and he closed the door behind him. He then lifted her up and pushed her against the wall. Chapter 128: Announcement Announcement Recently we had many people requesting for longer chapters or frequent updates, and 2 of the readers offered to help. Thanks to them, you will be able to get MUCH MORE frequent updates, and LONGER chapters. All credits go to them! Chapter 128 Trantors ¨C LN & LL Max opened her mouth in shock. Without skipping a beat, Riftan kissed her lips and slipped his tongue in. Max squeezed his thick, hard arms. His soft tongue swept inside her mouth, touching everywhere it could reach. The soft hairs on the back of her neck fluffed up one by one. His kiss was savage and unpredictable (Note: In Korean, the mouth is described as rough, but it means the kissing part was very passionate). Her breasts ached as their kiss deepened, the sensual movement inside her mouth gently sweeping over her teeth, her tongue, and the inside of her cheeks. She gasped and clung to his body, trembling. ¡°Haaa¡­¡± She groaned as if she were suffering from fever and her body became hot from the pleasure, as goosebumps rose from her skin. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and at that moment, when she looked over his shoulder, she saw the maids widen their eyes. Max stared at them nkly as her heart stopped. The three maids stood solid as stones, forgetting their task of setting the table. Their arms were still outreached as if they were still setting up tes and lighting the candlesticks. Max screamed and pounded Riftan¡¯s back with her weak fist, hiding her face near his neck. He nced back and moved out of the doorway, holding Max in one arm. He said calmly with no expression. ¡°Leave when you¡¯re done.¡± Max felt like she would die from shame. The maids moved slowly for a second, as if awakening from a trance from watching where theirdy and lord¡¯s faces met. The maids opened the door and went outside, saying goodbye with a polite expression. ¡°Um, well, have a good time.¡± They even took the kittens sleeping in their basket in case they would disturb them. Riftan could care less about the maids¡¯ red faces. It was hard to determine if Max¡¯s face was redder than theirs. He closed the door and began to kiss Max again, but she cried out and pushed him away in disbelief.¡± ¡°Nuh-now, di-did yu-you see how the maids looked!¡± ¡°What then. They¡¯re maids. You don¡¯t have worry about it.¡± Riftan removed her arm, annoyed that it kept her body away from his, and continued to pour a small kiss over the nape of her neck. Even though Max was heavy with embarrassment, she still enjoyed his touch. Yet she held a hand over his mouth and leaned her head back. ¡°Rif-Riftan, you are st-staying in the castle for only sh-short amounts of time¡­ but I-I am always with t-them every day! ¡°You spend the most time with Ruth.¡± Max¡¯s shoulders tensed at the level in his voice. He closed the gap between their faces until she could not see his terrifying, soft smile. His ck eyes shone like a savage beast¡¯s that thrilled her. Max gulped dryly. ¡°We-well, that is. Nuh-No. I sp-spend the longest times with the maids.¡± ¡°Really?¡± (Note: I¡¯m stanning him so hard rn.) ¡°Yeh-yes.¡± ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unfair that I, your husband, spend the least time with you?¡± ¡°We-well, it¡¯s not my fault. And not yours.¡± Riftan often left the castle. As a lord and knight, Max knew that Riftan had many responsibilities. Nheless, she could not stop her tongue from using him. He noticed that she was upset. Riftan sighed and set her on the table. ¡°I know. I just meant since we don¡¯t have much time together, don¡¯t mind other people when I am with you.¡± He pulled a chair next to her and sat down, taking her hands and grazing his lips over them. She could no longer me him when she saw his sincerity, as he gazed at her intensely. Max nodded her head up and down like a fool, her face still pink. A smile crept on his lips as he pressed her fingers, and when heughed, she softlyughed along with him. During the winter, Riftan stayed in the castle for longer periods of time. He went to the training grounds in the early morning and led knights regrly around the castle walls to subdue monsters. No matter his schedule, he made time to have dinner with hisdy when dusk started to fade. It was more peaceful timepared to thest autumn. During the day, Max read the books Ruth left her or trained to feel mana while holding a gemstone. In the evenings, her maids helped her dress beautifully and set the table for her sweet and rxing meals with Riftan. These were the moments when Max came to know her husband naturally. The first thing Max noticed was that Riftan had a simple taste in clothes. When he wasn¡¯t armed, Riftan preferred monotone, unpatterned clothing, and refrained from wearing brooches or jeweled belts. He detested luxuries on him and other men. His lip would curl at the sight of tight-fitting silk pants worn by mannequins, or the othertest fashions, such as ornate tunics that dragged on the floor, clothes with padded shoulders, shoes with pointed toes, or hats adorned with feathers. When a seamstress team once came to the castle, the seamstress tantly told Max that Riftan would wear whatever his wife would give him. With a horrified look, Max hid the feathered hat she was gifted by the seamstress for her husband. Riftan valued practical clothes and tools, and hated having items without worth. He preferred sturdy, active attire that only supported his training and was not overdemanding of his servants. Although he enjoyed alcohol and greasy food, he neverined when anything he craved was limited or unavable, and never requested meals that were difficult to make, asmon noblemen did. He was raised as a knight, and all he pursued for himself and his castle was efficiency. However, his frugal taste did not apply to his wife. He sought out beautiful clothes and fabrics to dress her. Frequently, he pressured her to wear jewels he would buy on a whim and ordered the maids constantly to treat their mistress well. Max came to believe that Riftan felt obligated, almost to the point of obsession, to give her the luxurious lifestyle that a Duke¡¯s daughter deserved. He had a surprisinglyplex mindset. While he viewed the vanity and whimsy of nobles with contempt, he saw the aristocratic lifestyle as a birthright to his wife. Showing off her status was very important to him. Envy and contempt for aristocratic society co-existed within him. Though she couldn¡¯t understand it all, Max dressed extravagantly to meet his expectations, and tried to imitate her younger sister¡¯s sophisticated and elegant mannerisms in her clumsy way. Fortunately, Riftan did not see her struggles when she was not herself, yet Max always fretted when he would find out when she was pretending. When she was at her desk studying the basic theory of geometry, Max suddenly widened her eyes at the thought. When spring came, nobles would visit Anatol. When the Calypses¡¯ would host them, Riftan would be able topare the truly elegant nobledies and his wife. Max tapped the desk with her fingertips and wondered if she should study etiquette for youngdies. She had no experience attendingrge banquets. She cringed at embarrassment from even the thought of hosting a ball. ¡°You seem focused.¡± Ruth, who was sitting across the room said sternly, cracking his knuckles and rolling his eyes with sarcasm. His gaze was still on the brass kettle he was making tea with over the furnace. Max gazed at him in reproach for talking to her rudely, but the magician didn¡¯t care. ¡°If you¡¯ve finished that book, your study on basic theory is over. Please make sure you understand it thoroughly. In order to learn any magic formrs, it is necessary to understand the basics.¡± ¡°I-I am wo-working hard today. I¡¯m, I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± When the kettle whistled, Ruth made a sweet tea of honey, ginger, and other herbs and set a cup on her desk. ¡°Mydy, please have refreshments.¡± ¡°Th-thanks.¡± Ruth smiled softly at Max, faking sincerity as he bowed. Max rolled her eyes at his sarcastic attitude. Since Riftan seemed to detest Max and Ruth being alone together, Max only came to the library with her maids. However, the maids noticed that they made the wizard ufortable. To retaliate, Ruth often addressed Max politely, stressing that he should treat her well as thedy of the house in front of spying eyes. Max knew he didn¡¯t like being disturbed by the maids, but she ignored his unrest. ¡°Your training on sensing mana, Is it going well?¡± ¡°Yeh-yes? No, not yet.¡± Max shook her head while holding her teacup with both hands. Ruth took a sip of his steaming tea before narrowing his eyes, giving serious thought. ¡°You were gifted with a high mana absorption rate. I thought teaching you would be a lot easier¡­.but results will take more time, I see.¡± ¡°I-I have a high absorption rate?¡± ¡°Last time, you saw my powers enter into your palms. This means you have a high affinity to absorbing magic. Usually, it takes apprentices years of effort from a young age to absorb magic that quickly. In a passage she read, Max remembered reading that mana was received into the body through what magicians called Ma Ryok. Although the tube was invisible and seemed nonexistent, there were only certain entrances where mana could enter the body. ¡°Huh-how do you us-usually de-develop this Ma Ryok?¡± ¡°The magician injects magic into his student¡¯s body periodically. As a child, I was constantly exposed to magic. Therefore, my Ma Ryok has widened well for absorbing mana.¡± Max nodded in quiet understanding until herplexion hardened. Was she used to mana because the healers had repeatedly healed her after her father¡¯s beatings? She had also been constantly exposed to magic. Max stared at his palms. She could not believe that something good could havee out of her father¡¯s cruel discipline. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous. With practice, you¡¯ll get better at absorbing mana little-by-little.¡± After seeing her face upied with dark thoughts, Ruth had tried tofort her. Max tried to smile and tried to focus on the present. Did it matter how she became gifted to use magic? She made up her mind to study the basic theory again to practice well. Max turned her head when the door opened loudly, making the bookshelves tremble. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Trantors ¨C LN & LL Riftan had appeared again as usual. He had beening to the library frequently to find Max, which made Ruth sigh in frustration this time. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve finished training already?¡± Ruth told Riftan. ¡°Training in cold weather drains strength. The guards need a breather for today to recover properly.¡± Riftan responded dryly to the question, approaching Max from behind and bowing his head closer to hers. Max¡¯s cheeks colored as the texture of his cold lips touched her forehead. He gently rubbed her hair and whispered ¡°Have you been stuck here since this morning?¡± ¡°I-in the mo-morning, I stopped by the st-stables.¡± Riftan appeared dissatisfied. He frowned and grumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t you spend longer here than in bed with me?¡± ¡°We-well, nuh-no. About the same.¡± Since Riftan¡¯s return to the castle, he spent much longer in the bedroom. Max¡¯s face turned red, recalling how much time she spent in his arms almost every night. Riftan groaned near her eye and hugged her shoulders tightly with both arms. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m good enough?¡± ¡°Can you please be intimate when you two are alone? Where I can¡¯t see you?¡± Ruth said, bored. ¡°Just look away.¡± Riftan said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back to your room? To make me morefortable. This atmosphere is too much for me.¡± Ruth told Max. Max couldn¡¯t lift her head. She sped her fiery hot face. Riftan clicked his tongue and pulled on Max¡¯s arm. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go to our room. Hold onto me.¡± ¡°Ri-Riftan.¡± Max tightly gripped the edge of the desk. She was too ashamed at this point to go their bedroom. ¡°To-today. The-the tasks you had to-to do today. Have you finished?¡± ¡°I left my patrol duties to another knight. Why aren¡¯t you getting up now?¡± Riftan was impatient and tugged on her arm again, but Max held the desk more tightly. While she enjoyed her time with Riftan, it was too embarrassing to stay in bed during broad daylight. What if the servants gossiped badly about them? She closed her eyes and moved her eyeballs back and forth in embarrassment, waving an arm at the stacked books near her.¡± ¡°Ah-ah. I ha-haven¡¯t finished reading.¡± ¡°Readter.¡± ¡°To-today, I pl-nned to read these.¡± Riftan scrunched his eyebrows together in dissatisfaction. ¡°What the hell are you so obsessed with?¡± He took a book from the stack on her task and looked it over. The pages were filled with all sorts of intricate figures and ancient words. He looked at Max again and frowned. ¡°What is this? Are you trying to learn magic?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡± Ruth said. ¡°She¡¯s been learning magic from me for weeks.¡± Riftan, who was still rifling through the pages stopped and raised his head, his eyes shing. ¡°What?¡± At Riftan¡¯s reaction, Ruth nced at Max, confused. ¡°Hasn¡¯t she told you yet? Your wife may have a talent for magic, so I¡¯m teaching her little-by-little.¡± ¡°WHO WANTS HER TO?!¡± Riftan shouted fiercely, throwing the book away wildly. Max trembled. She didn¡¯t know if she would¡¯ve had permission, so she hadn¡¯t asked, but she thought he would be happy if he knew she was learning magic for him. ¡°Having wizards at hand are an incredible resource.¡± Ruth countered. ¡°Moreover, recently, there¡¯s been a decline in wizards, which means less people to take on apprentices.¡± Riftan was still upset. Heshed out, ming Ruth. ¡°This all started when I went to take out those damn Goblins.¡± Ruth didn¡¯t know how to react and responded, slightly ashamed. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to teach her offense magic. But wouldn¡¯t it be a great asset to Anatol if your wife could do simple defense or healing magic?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need the help!¡± Riftan burst. Max grasped fabric on her knees tightly. When Riftan saw her face turn white and scared, he swore and squeezed her shoulder, trying to calm himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring you here to use you. I¡­I just want you to befortable. Magic is hard work and consumes a lot of strength.¡± ¡°I¡¯I¡¯m no-not trying to do so-something dangerous. I-I just want to-to be helpful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying I don¡¯t need it!¡± Max looked at him in shock. Riftan hesitated and touched her face, his tone impatient. ¡°Don¡¯t look sad. I¡¯m not mad at you. You-.¡± He couldn¡¯t find the words to exin and bit his lips. A strange silence fell upon the library. Riftan continued to shift his gaze between Max¡¯s discouraged face and Ruth¡¯s disapproval. He swept his hair with one hand roughly. A cold look passed over his face. ¡°Do whatever you like.¡± He turned away and left the library. Max watched his back hopelessly. Riftan didn¡¯te back until dark. Max wandered the room anxiously, looking out the window constantly for him. ording to Rodrigo, Riftan wasn¡¯t armed and had taken his horse to leave the castle. Max felt like the blood was drying in her veins. The three cats, who had been sleepingfortably near the firece, came out from under the bed and cried and groaned, as if expressing her feelings for her. She took one cat on herp, petting it, then lied down on the bed and quietly closed her eyes. She couldn¡¯t understand what had made Riftan so angry. Was he upset that she hadn¡¯t told him she was learning magic? She should have asked his permission before she had started. She bit her nails nervously, lost in thought when she heard a rattling sound. She hastily closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. She could tell by the footsteps who wasing. Max didn¡¯t have the courage to see Riftan in the face. Riftan approached her silently and carefully pushed the cats off the bed back into their basket. She listened, wanting to know his mood. Riftan ced the basket near the lit firece, took off his cloak, and hung it off to the side. He sat down on the bed to take off his boots. Max waited for him to lie next to her. He didn¡¯t move and just sat for a long time. Feeling rejected, Max bruried her face deep into her pillow. He didn¡¯t want to lie next to her, it seemed. She had disappointed him. She had just wanted to support him. Was she too ipetent to be trusted? She bit her lips. He had said so firmly that he didn¡¯t need her help. His words had struck her painfully. She curled her back to hide the hurt on her face. At that moment, a rough finger gently touched her cheek. Max held her breath. Riftan gently cupped her cheeks and pulled a few strands of her hair away. Even without opening her eyes, she could feel his intense gaze on her, as if her face was right next to the firece. He continued to sweep her hair away and took her fingertips to his lips. Max automatically shuddered from his touch. Did it seem like she was rejecting him? Riftan flinched and slowly returned her hand to her side and began to move away. Max hurriedly grasped his hand. ¡°Ri-Riftan!¡± But after holding onto him, she didn¡¯t know what to say. Max looked at him cautiously. Did he know she was only pretending to be asleep? He didn¡¯t seem surprised she was awake. Underneath his fringed hair, his eyes, dark as ink, looked at her without expression. She shriveled at his look. Maybe he was angry at her. She was terrified. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve done wrong,¡± she said recklessesly, although she did not know exactly what she was apologizing for. Riftan drew in a short breath and hugged her. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I just..¡± Cold fingers prated her hair and touched her scalp, wrapping themselves around her small head. Max exhaled as Riftan buried his nose in her chest. Her shoulders trembled. Riftan rubbed her back and said irately. ¡°Don¡¯t act so scared all the time if you can learn magic.¡± ¡°Nuh-no. I-I¡¯m not scared. Really.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie. You¡¯re trembling. Dammit. I barely made youugh. Now we¡¯re starting all over.¡± ¡°Nuh-No. I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Max trembled and bit her lip. She was relieved that he was being affectionate again, but could hear the sadness in his voice. She grabbed the hem of his sleeve as Riftan held his forehead grudgingly. ¡°I-I don¡¯t nuh-need to learn.¡± She felt Riftan¡¯s arm wriggling underneath his sleeve. He shook his head vigorously. ¡°You don¡¯t get it¡± he said. ¡°Is muh-me he-helping you a nuisance?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°I-I wuh-want to do so-something for you. I-I wish to do this.¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t do anything!¡± Riftan said violently. He sighed in agony and swallowed before kissing her lips hungrily. Max pressed against his face, his hard chin shaking under her hand. A small line of saliva dripped over his thick neck. Riftan pushed his tongue into her mouth and tasted her slowly, tenaciously. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Trantors ¨C LN & LL Max trembled faintly as she felt Riftan¡¯s knee pushing into her skirt. He groaned, gently sucking her wet lips. ¡°Okay, you can do whatever you want. Please, don¡¯t look like that.¡± Max choked by a pleading voice. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­ y-you got angry all of a sudden.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do that again.¡± As if soothing a small animal trembling with fear, Riftan stroked her back constantly with his big hands. Therge, rough palms felt over Max¡¯s thin clothes gradually relieved the tension from the body. Max buried her face in his neck, she could feel a faint shiver running over Riftan¡¯s body. ¡°Maxi¡­¡± ¡°You-your body¡­ is cold. You-you¡¯ve been outside.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to cool my head off for a second¡­¡± As Max touched his chest, Riftan¡¯s voice faded like a dying candle. Max blushed as she felt her body touching his thighs harden with excitement. She was worried that she might being too bold, but he didn¡¯t seem to hate it, so she rubbed her nose into his chest. ¡°B-Because you¡¯re mad at me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you. I¡¯m¡­¡± Riftan¡¯s voice shook unsteadily. Max hesitated and stroked it over the hem of his clothes. His face hardened with passion. Max felt a fever rising to the top of her head. The desire to make him more muddle soared. Max tucked her hand under his tunic and swept the slim waist covered with fine muscles. Riftan breathed in as if he had been kicked in the abdomen. ¡°Maxi¡­¡± Ignoring his voice, Max felt her fingertips in the cracks of his abdomen. She could feel his strong stomach stiffening like a stone. It was fascinating, so she pressed her fingertips to see his reaction, and she held her fingers near his navel. A suppressed groan flowed out of Riftan¡¯s mouth. ¡°Now, do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Max nced up at his face distorted by desire. Riftan¡¯s forehead was deeply wrinkled, and his mouth was tense. Max raised her head and kissed him slightly at the side of his mouth. Then the Riftan stiffened and deepened the kiss. He groaned at the smoothing touch, as she pulled the hem of his clothes. Riftan grabbed her hand wandering around his stomach and led it down. The heat in the palm of her hand made his ears red. He gasped breathlessly, pushing his body explicitly against her palm. ¡°Uh¡­¡± A splitting groan ran a numb feeling behind her ear. Max hesitated and stroked his body. When she brushes her hand on his manliness, Riftan¡¯s jaw trembles. The appearance was incredibly fascinating. The man who always drove her crazy is shaking weakly like a wounded animal in her grasp. ¡°You¡¯re in pain¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m dying¡± Riftan hugged her shoulder and murmured something. Max plucked up her courage and untied his waistband. Unstable breathing poured over his shoulder, but there was no sign pf Riftan dissuading. After hesitation, Max moved her hand as carefully as he did when he touched her. It was so smooth and hot that she couldn¡¯t think of it as a ce that bothered her so viciously. ¡°Max, Maxi¡­¡± Riftan shivered and held her shoulders tightly. Max looked at his face, blurred with enthusiasm. She could feel his body wriggling strangely with longing and breathing hot. Her eyes tingled because of the thought that she hade too far to handle. When she was just thinking at what else she could do, he gave her a rush. ¡°Maxi¡­ just a little bit more¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, what should I do¡­.¡± Riftan pressed his forehead against the back of his hand like a dizzy person in front of her, and pulled her hands down to his manliness,pletely surrounding it. ¡°¡­slowly up and down¡­ Uh¡­ Yeah¡­Well, like that¡­ Hhhhhhhhhhhhh¡± Riftan¡¯s face waspletely red with excitement. Looking at his ck eyes moistened by the heat, Max slowly touched his body. Her heart beat is painfully fast. Max¡¯s body wriggling underneath the rolled-up clothes, red cheeks, intermittent trembling breaths¡­It was all too shallow and fascinating to handle. Max forgot her shame and kissed him on his neck and moved her hand a little faster. As if he had reached the limit of his patience after short breaths, she hurriedly removed her hands and settled between his legs. Max willingly opened herself up for him. At once, Riftan rolled up to his waist and his body pushed heavily in. ¡°Uh¡­¡± I felt a thin shiver in contact with the body. Max exhaled an overwhelming breath. The heavy weight made it hard to breathe. Perhaps she felt that she was not prepared enough, but he slowly moved backwards. Max is relieved from the pressure, but for a moment, his body moves back in. Max held his arm tightly and her thighs trembled. It¡¯s hot, as if hugging a ball of fire. ¡°Ri, Riftan¡­.¡± The muscles around his eyes were shaking. The sweat drops on the forehead, down to his long eyshes. A man who ran up the stairs without sweating a drop, and a man who did not lose his breath even after running on a horse without resting on a long road, is in this state because of her. A strange sense of satisfaction, which can be called evil, swelled inside her. From time to time, the wicked woman who wakes up from her inner self that greedily pokes her violently. Max pulled her body close with tears. Then he starts to move violently, pressing her whole body with a sound of affliction. The pleasure is melting her. Max scratched his slippery back with her fingertips with a slight groan. Sweaty clothes cling unpleasantly to the skin, and the body in contact shakes viciously like a drum. She seemed to have a terrible fever. She wiggled her back to get a more intense sense. Riftan was almost half out of his mind, more than Max. It was unbearably good. Max likes when he¡¯s muddled, it is good to fret. With a vicious need rising through her throat, she bit him on the shoulder. Riftan trembled and pulled her neck to take a fierce grip on her lips. It was a kiss as if Riftan was anxious to eat it. ¡°Maxi¡­¡± Max gasped, rubbing her tongue roughly against him. Thick beads of sweat gather between the folded eyebrows. Max couldn¡¯t understand the traces of anguish on his face. Max is the one who¡¯s nervous, but why do Riftan look like that as if he is sad. She¡¯s afraid that he might turn cold one day. ¡°How much crazier do you think you¡¯re going to make me¡­¡± Riftan mumbled resentfully and thrust deep enough to hurt. He fills her stomach like he doesn¡¯t get enough even though she¡¯s thoroughly full. Max could no longer understand what he said. Only the sharp pleasure of thrusting the inside flows through her brain. Max sped her toes and wrapped her legs around his waist. Riftan shakes his body and intertwines their wet tongue. Max felt a faint taste of blood in her mouth, but she didn¡¯t care. Max closed her eyes dimly. *** Max felt her thighs opened and something cool came between her legs. Max flinched and opened her eyes, gave a trembling sigh when she saw his masculine face showing a clear outline even in the dark. Riftan was wiping her off with a wet towel. The sensation of cooling the skin gave her anguid groan. ¡°It¡¯s still dawn. Don¡¯t get up.¡± He gently wiped the water out with a dry cloth and covered her back with a nket. Only then did she realize that he was well prepared to go out. He swept her hair from her forehead. Max looked up at him with a look of stillnguidness. Riftan had a grave face as always, as if nothing had happened. The appearance felt mysterious that Riftan seems so intact even after such intense experience. Unnervingly anxious, she hurriedly pulled herself up. ¡°I-I must get up, too¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you to sleep more.¡± With a rather coercive voice, she looked up at him with an uneasy look. Riftan had a bitter smile around his mouth. ¡°I said you can do whatever you wanted. Don¡¯t make that face.¡± ¡°b-but¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re trying to learn magic for nothing, but¡­¡± Max shrugged her shoulders with a rather dry voice. He didn¡¯t seem to be taking what she said that she wanted to be helpful. Riftan continued calmly, tying the straps of his boots tightly. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to learn a defense spell. Of course, you¡¯ll never make a situation where you must use it yourself.¡± ¡°I, I¡­.¡± Max was about to say that she wasn¡¯t trying to protect herself, she was trying to learn magic because she wanted to help Riftan. Max feels she didn¡¯t have any credibility at all. In a way, it was natural that Riftan did not expect her to be a good wizard and be a reliable helper. He¡¯s only seen her trembling with fear. Max nodded, trying to hide her disappointment at his appearance as if he were soothing a child in a group. It is fortunate that the permission has been given. Obviously, if she builds up her skills and shows her dignity, Riftan will change his attitude. She has no choice but to try it for now. Maxforted herself like that and uttered in a calm voice. ¡°Uh, for the permission¡­ tha-thank you.¡± Riftan had a subtle look on his face, neither smiling nor frowning, and kissed her on the forehead and got up. ¡°If Ruth tries to involve you in a strange experiment, tell him immediately.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll be fine. I- I guess I¡¯ll tell him¡­ ¡®be serious, teach me¡¯¡± The words she tried to reassure him somehow made Riftan smile. Max was nervous, wondering if she made another slip of the tongue. However, Riftan opened the door without saying anything and left. Maxy on the bed and listened quietly to Riftan¡¯s distant footsteps. The window was dimly lit by the blue light of dawn. Looking at it for a moment, she sighed and covered the sheet to the top of her head. A strange feeling of exhaustion came upon her. She closed her tired eyes. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Trantors ¨C LN & LL After that day, Riftan made noment on her learning magic. In addition, he stopped visiting the library from time to time. However, Max felt uneasy about the change in his attitude. Riftan appeared to be attempting to ignore the fact that she was learning magic. She didn¡¯t understand why he didn¡¯t like it so much, but Max was optimistic that he would naturally change his attitude if she could do even one magic that is useful. That¡¯s why no monarch in the world would not wee the increase in the number of wizards under hismand, even the royal princess worked hard as a wizard and was recognized for her talent. Even if she is not as great wizard as the Princess Agnes, if she can do the magic of healing properly, she will surely be able to help Anatol a lot. Then Riftan will recognize her. Max nervously turned over the pages with wrinkled brows. She wanted to learn magic as soon as possible, but she felt impatient because there was little progress in studying. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. You¡¯ve only just learned the basic theory. It takes a lot of time to learn magic.¡± Ruth, who was sitting across from him and recording something on the map, suddenly opened his mouth. Max looked at him with a dutiful look at him. ¡®Does he have an eye at the top of his head?¡¯ The wizard immediately noticed and warned her in this way, even if her concentration was a little distracted. She grumbled with discontent, putting her hair flowing down her forehead behind her ears. ¡°B-but¡­ still, y-you know how to do it, even if you..you know nothing.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Learning a theory doesn¡¯t mean you can use magic. If you don¡¯t collect enough mana, it¡¯s no use.¡± Max shut her mouth when he pointed out where she wascking. As he said, she had not yet been able to gather enough mana. Rather than gathering mana, she was struggling even in training to detect mana. ¡®In what time will I be able to do magic?¡¯ Max drooped her shoulders in a mood that seemed to wear out her confidence. ¡°Every day, I¡¯m practicing, holding a mana stone. Well, it didn¡¯t work out¡­¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the Mana Stone of Fire and the Mana of Nature are not very good.¡± Ruth narrowed his eyes, fiddling with the git pen as if he was lost in thought. Max gave an anticipated look that he might find a solution. Ruth opened his mouth after a long time. ¡°Why don¡¯t you change the location? There is a difference in concentration depending on the location of Manna. It could be much better just by practicing somewhere else.¡± Sounds like ame suggestion, Max squinted. ¡°Oh, w-where do you like? ¡°It doesn¡¯t make a big difference. Manna¡¯s concentration is high in ces where vegetation, wind, soil and water are abundant.¡± At his words, Max turned his head and stared out the window. A pale winter sky unfolded over the mahogany window frame, which is jolting in the wind. Max had an unwilling look on her face in the chilly sky light that made her feel creepy just by looking at it. ¡°Hey, i-it¡¯s cold. You want me to go outside? ¡°You don¡¯t freeze to death just because you¡¯re out for a while. Think of it as a walk-in support. In fact, you¡¯ve only been in the castletely.¡± ¡°Ru- I don¡¯t want to hear that from Ruth.¡± Ruth was more stuck in the library than she was. At least Max toured the castle once a day to supervise the servants, while he was really stuck in the library all day. He doesn¡¯t know if he even walks 20 steps a day. As she narrowed her eyes looking at his slender limbs, Ruth frowned and defensively crossed his arms against his chest. ¡°I can¡¯t leave the room even if I want to. I want to split my body into two to work on the elemental weapons protecting the walls, as well as to investigate the migration of the beasts.¡± ¡°Again, y-you are m-making e-elemental weapons?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The creatures climbed through the walls of the castle, taking advantage of the previous foggy dawn. To prevent that from happening again, we would like to build elemental weapons in a ce where the spells often appear. We¡¯re still in the nning stage, but¡­.¡± He squeezed the back of his neck and yawned until his mouth was torn. Only then did Max look sorry when she found the ck shade under Ruth¡¯s eyes. Because she was anxious to learn magic, she couldn¡¯t check his situation. ¡°T-This time, I, I don¡¯t have to help you? I-If it¡¯s enough to organize the form, I, uh¡­.¡± ¡°I feel like a chimney, but I¡¯m afraid not this time. I am under the eye of Lord Calypse for teaching you magic at will. And if you¡¯re going to be an assistant, he will not let me go.¡± She shuddered as if he was horrible just imagining it. Max felt uneasy again about the exaggerated response. As expected, Riftan seem to be displeased with her learning magic with others. She became depressed for nothing and felt awkward, but Ruth continued with a lighter tone. ¡°Anyway, thank you for your words. But please focus on learning magic now. You¡¯re much more helpful than helping me with my work.¡± ¡°Oh, I got it.¡± She no longer said anything and picked up the magic book she was studying. Ruth, who sat a little away and was sewing quietly followed, and picked up his luggage. Max nced back at him as he walked to the door with his maid. ¡°Well, then¡­ Tha-thank you.¡± Ruth shook his hand dryly. ¡°Yes, I want you to enjoy my share of the refreshing feeling.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to gather mana.¡± Max grumbled out of the library. Rudis followed and quickly put a cape around her shoulder. ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± ¡°Would you like to stop by your room and change into thicker clothes before you go outside?¡± ¡°Oh, no. This is enough. I¡¯d like to go out like this, but can you bring the book to my room, please?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it with me.¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to. I, I¡¯m just going to walk along the promenade.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± ¡°And when I¡¯m alone, I can concentrate well.¡± When she spoke more strongly, Rudis took the book and bowed her head as if there was no other choice. Max turned quickly and walked out of the hallway. Bright sunlight was pouring in on the wide stairs with red rugs. She gazed up at the white shining window with her squinted eyes as she ran down the stairs. The castle was several times colder than usual, perhaps because of the venttion. Max turned to the kitchen because she thought she would enjoy the heat of the firece. It will be less cold if she sits in front of the fire, warm her body, and go outside. Curled up to her knees, she walked past the hall with quick steps. However, when she stepped into the heated kitchen, the idea of resting for a while and leaving, faded. Max stood at the entrance and looked through the crowded kitchen. Usually, double servants were working frantically, grooming food ingredients, setting fires, and moving water bottles from ce to ce. ¡°Are you trying to turn all the bread into a lump of charcoal?! Come on. What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Two red-faced boys received a loud roar from the chef who pulled out a brown bread the size of a pumpkin from the oven with arge flipper. At the opposite table, eight maids sat around the table, filling the white dough with minced onions, chopped sausages, and various spices to form a small half-moon-shaped pie, while they piled up the bread on a clean woodblock. Five pots were boiling inside the firece, and the servants continued to make meat on the charcoal fire, make turnips sd, boil potatoes and eggs, and fill it with arge wooden bowl. As the meal time approached, the kitchen was always hectic, but today, the kitchen seemed to be busier than usual. Looking at the chef with a half-sick face, Max sneaked up to the chef and asked. ¡°D- do you happen to have a job that the Lord ordered you to do?¡± ¡°Oh my God. You¡¯re here? I¡¯m sorry My Lady, I couldn¡¯t say hello in advance.¡± Then the chef bent down hurriedly as if he had noticed her existence. Max waved his hand in the sense that she was okay. ¡°Oh, no. You¡­you look busier today.¡± ¡°Yes, the lord said he would train cavalry this morning and ordered us to prepare more food than usual.¡± ¡°Ca-cavalry training¡­?¡± ¡°All the knights will gather in the field, ride horses, and do mockbat training. It¡¯s a magnificent sight.¡± The chef, who had a bright smile on his wide face, pulled out a crispy fried pie from the oil cooker with a loud noise. Then he quickly looked back at her with a sorry look, spraying cinnamon powder and msses syrup on top of it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, My Lady. If we make a little dy, we won¡¯t be able to use precious ingredients because it will burn ck, so I can¡¯t stand still for a moment.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m sorry to talk to you while you¡¯re busy. D-don¡¯t mind me. Y-you should continue.¡± ¡°Are you here for business?¡± ¡°Oh, no, just¡­just passing by.¡± In a hectic time, Max went straight out through the back door because she didn¡¯t want to bother him while they¡¯re busy. In the open garden, five or six workers took axes and split firewood into small pieces and piled them up on carts. They took off their hats and bowed their heads then Max waved one hand to respond and began walking straight down the promenade. As she walked a little from the Great Hall, a calm air surrounded her. Max looked around, raised her head, and inhaled deeply into her nose. The pale sunlight of winter was pouring through the branches of the trees. The wind was so cool that her skin was sore, but the day was rarely sunny. After only smelling the quizzical wood in the gloomy library for a while, she enjoyed the chilly winter air and felt refreshed. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Trantors ¨C LN & LL ¡®I didn¡¯t feel like it, but¡­ I¡¯m d I came out.¡¯ She was buried in a book every day, so she stopped practicing horseback riding with Rem for a while. Believing it was a good idea to follow Ruth¡¯s suggestion, she slowly moved towards the location. Usually, at this time of the day, the chanting of the knight apprentices is heard, but seeing the quietness, all the boys seemed to have participated in the cavalry training. Max stood in a sunny ce, relieved that she could participate in the training without worrying about encountering others. ¡®Will it be a little different this time?¡¯ She rummaged through her pocket and pulled out a mana stone. The surface seemed to shine transparently under the bright sunlight. Max was rolling the mana stone around with her fingertips and grabbed it tightly with her palm. There was no change, either way, as they were waiting for the heat to flow on the surface of the mana stone with her eyes closed. Max repeatedly looked up at the sky with a sigh. ¡®Maybe I¡¯m not talented¡­.¡¯ Ruth may have been mistaken. She may not have had the qualities of a wizard in the first ce. Suddenly, she was so irritated that she kicked the floor violently. It was a waste to study books that were difficult to understand and to do nothing was pathetic. Max tried to throw the mana stone on the floor, but managed to restrain herself and squat down helplessly. From afar, she could hear cksmiths knocking on the iron. She could hear firewood being pounded. Max was deeply depressed because She felt like she was the only one who was stuck in a dynamic group. Max buried her face sullenly on herp. At that moment, a sharp voice came from behind. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Max looked back in surprise. Three or four steps away, Riftan stood tall in armor as if he had just finished training. ¡®How could hee so close in such a costume without a sound? She was blinking her eyes in surprise, and Riftan came in front of her. ¡°Are you sick or something?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Well, just rx¡­.¡± Max hurriedly got up from her seat, embarrassed. Then Riftan frowned. ¡°When I went to the Great Hall, they said you went out without an attendant. Why are you alone out here without a maid?¡± ¡°Just, just to get some fresh air¡­.¡± Max said ¡°I think I¡¯ll get even angrier if youe out for magic training.¡± Then, Riftan¡¯s face hardens. ¡°A castle isn¡¯t absolutely safe. If you¡¯re in a distant ce like this and have an ident¡­!¡± Max shrugged her shoulders at the increasingly harsh voice. When he saw it, Riftan immediately stopped talking. At first nce, he looked nervous on his face. ¡°This is a castle where hundreds of people stay. Some of them might have a bad heart. Don¡¯t you know that Lord¡¯s wife shouldn¡¯t be alone in such a deserted ce?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± Max answered back obediently, not being able to say the right words. Then, Riftan¡¯s stiff mouth was loosened a little smoothly. He pulled her arm, sweeping her hair out of the wind with one hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry me too much.¡± Then he starts to walk one step ahead. Max followed him in a sullen manner, like a dog getting scolded. Is he angry? He was walking a little faster, one step ahead of her, unlike usual. Max, who nced at the blunt side of the face, suddenly realized that Riftan was moving in the opposite direction of the road to the entrance of the Great Hall. ¡°Are you going to the castle or not?¡± ¡°I heard you came out to get some fresh air.¡± He replied bluntly and moved straight to the stable. ¡°I said I¡¯d take you to theke the other day. It¡¯s a sunny day, so let¡¯s go outside to get some fresh air.¡± A wee smile on the words and Max looked worried as he looked over him in his armor. ¡°Oh, I heard you had a hard training today. W-wouldn¡¯t it be nice to take a break?¡± ¡°Hey, you still don¡¯t know how strong I am? I¡¯m a man who can march three days and nights without a break.¡± Riftan shook his head as if he were amazing and went into the stable. Max secretly blushed as she recalled his passion until dawn. Clearly, Riftan¡¯s physical strength was phenomenal. Fanning her face, she followed him into the somber stable, and the workers who swept the floor rushed to bow. ¡°My Lord, you¡¯re here.¡± Riftan gestured roughly to the servants, then walked straight to Talon¡¯spartment and put up the saddle by himself. She walked to the ce where Rem was. As she approached, a mare sticking her head out was pleased, stamping her feet. Max made a sorry face and caressed the horse by the neck. ¡°Well, how are you?¡± Rem rumbled and rubbed her nose against her shoulder. She smiled and soothed Rem¡¯s rich mane. Kunel, who was entering the stable with a straw band on his shoulder, quickly ran to see it. ¡°Good morning, My Lady. I think you two are going out together.¡± ¡°W-We¡¯re going to theke.¡± ¡°Do you want me to saddle you up?¡± As she nodded, the stableman quickly put a saddle on Rem¡¯s back. Max was handed a rein and led Rem out of the stable. Riftan, who was outside, grabbed her and sat her on the horse. ¡°The wind is cold, so don¡¯t go too fast today.¡± Then he jumped onto Talon and drove ahead towards the rear gate. Max looked as excited as she chased after him. The other day, she remembered riding a horse to the hill with him, and my heart was pounding hard. Max rode the horse cheerfully, feeling his depressed mood clearing up. ¡°t-theke, uh, where is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a little west along this road.¡± Earlier, Riftan, who stepped out of the gate, pointed to a winding forest path. The narrow road, which is lined with bare trees from side to side, seemed difficult to ride a horse. Max hesitated a little, then carefully drove the Rem onto the bumpy road, where the roots of the trees were intertwined. Whether her riding practice has been fruitful, she was able to stay stable. Riftan smiled at the sight. ¡°You¡¯ve be much better than before.¡± ¡°I- I¡¯ve been practicing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud you, of course.¡± Max blushed at the praise he would give to the little boy. Riftan carefully watched how many times she was following her well and soon became relieved, speeding up a little bit. She clung to his horse¡¯s tail and ran out of the narrow road. How long would it have gone so far, the road got wider and wider, and soon a huge silver-litke appeared. Max looked down the open hill and eximed. A reddish-brown peak and a blue sky were clearly reflected on the mirror-like roundke. Around the water, pines pointed like spears rose densely like fences, and the dense branches were thickly covered with pine needles that looked ck. Max smiled happily at the ce she hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. Winter birds and wild animals that came to drink water between the trees were seen at first nce. As Riftan dragged his horse close to the surface, the stag which was poking his head out from behind the bushes, ran away like the wind. Surprised by the sound, birds pped up and the forest became noisy for a moment. ¡°I thought the water might have frozen, but it¡¯s fine.¡± He kicked Talon¡¯s waist lightly and approached theke. Max chased and asked in a surprised tone. ¡°t-this bigke¡­ Oh, it¡¯s freezing?¡± ¡°In the north, even a biggerke freezes in winter. You can walk through it.¡± At Riftan¡¯s words, Max opened her eyes wide as if she could not believe it. All she saw was a thinyer of ice on a bucket of water outside in the cold winter. She couldn¡¯t imagine that ake this big could freeze and walk on it. She red suspiciously at him, wondering if he was making fun of her who didn¡¯t know the world. ¡°Uh, h-how can I walk on ake? The ice could break and fall into the water.¡± ¡°Some people actually fall to death while crossing.¡± Riftan replied as if he were telling a trivial fact. Max frowned and shook her head in a ridiculous way. ¡°Well, then i-if you go up there, oh, you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°If you make sure the ice is thick enough to support your weight, it¡¯s no problem if you move. It¡¯s much colder in the north than here, so ice doesn¡¯t break unless there¡¯s a big animal like Hydra underneath it.¡± Max opened her eyes wide at the words that seemed to have experience. ¡°Ri-Riftan, did you walk on theke?¡± ¡°Not ake, but I¡¯ve crossed something like that. When I was a mercenary, I used to do a magic in Balto, and I walked for three days on a giant frozen cier to pass through the Tranoia teau.¡± ¡°What¡¯s rain cier¡­?¡± ¡°A chunk of ice bigger than that mountain.¡± Over and over again, Max had a dim look on her face. ¡®How many things has he experienced in his 28 years of life?¡¯ The most ferocious and powerful demon on the whole continent, the Red Dragon, has gone through the ice bigger than the mountains¡­. It was unimaginable for Max, who had lived her entire life in her father¡¯s castle and moved to Anatol, which was all she had experienced in her life. How colorful and magnificent the world is perceived by Riftan. He felt like apletely different personpared to her, who was struggling with organizing the house of Calypse and learning a healing magic. ¡°Rif-Riftan, all seven countries¡­ Have you been there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Arex and Suikan. When I joined the mercenaries, I moved to Rivadon and spent about two years there. I wasmissioned to work at random, and I ended up going up to Balto¡­ I made a lot of money there, but I came down to Osiria because I thought it was not a ce to live. I stayed in the capital of Osiria for about a month or three to attend a swordsmanshippetition hosted by the Central Temple, and I was offered to join the Knights.¡± He tilted his head slightly as if he were reminiscing about the past and calmly recited his history calmly. ¡°After returning home and being formally knighted, I spent most of my time in Anatol and Dristan.¡± Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Trantors ¨C LN & LL ¡°Dristan, W-What about Dristan?¡± Max asked. ¡°Because of the conflict between the Duke of Croix and the southern part of Dristan¡± Riftan replied. The City of Croix was located at the south eastern most point of Whedon, and covered extensively as far as Dristan. As a result, there were frequent military disputes with Dristan in the eastern part of the Duchy, where knights were frequently dispatched from the Whedon royal family and from the central temple of Osiria to mediate them. The move was aimed at preventing disputes from escting and shaking the seven-nation peace treaty. Was Riftan one of them? ¡°C-Croix is a conflict state.. so you f-frequently visit to arbitrate.¡± She suddenly felt Riftan¡¯s strange gaze when she tried tobine the stories she picked up when she was young in her head. Max looked at him with a curious look. ¡°W-why?¡± ¡°No¡­ I wonder if I¡¯ve been there so often.¡± ¡°Well, at least two months¡­ s-sometimes o-once a month. Didn¡¯t you visit?¡± Riftan, who was staring at her, turned his head again, thinking it was like that. Max nced at his expression just in case she made a slip of the tongue. When he was in silence alone, Riftan seemed to be alone in a distance ce. ¡®Why doesn¡¯t he tell me everything he thinks about? Maybe being with me is boring.¡¯ She was anxious because he looked away for a moment, and suddenly something cold fell on the nose bridge. Max rubbed his nose with one hand in surprise. Water droplets were formed. It was so sunny just a while ago, but is it going to rain in winter? Max, who raised her head frowning, opened her eyes wide the next minute. Fluffy things were falling from the white faded sky. ¡°It¡¯s a nice day, and it¡¯s going to snow.¡± She heard Riftan kicking his tongue. Max looked back at him with a puzzled look. ¡°I-Is this snow?¡± ¡°¡­is this your first-time seeing snow?¡± ¡°I- I¡¯ve seen sleet falling, but¡­ This, like this close, I¡¯ve never seen this before.¡± She stared nkly at the snowkes that were slowly falling like petals and extended her hand forward. Riftan frowned at the sight. ¡°Straighten up. What if you fall off the horse?¡± ¡°I- it¡¯s okay. My lord, I¡¯m paying attention.¡± Max answered and held the snowke in her palm. The unpleasant thing melted away as soon as it reached the skin and became a small drop of water. ¡®How on earth does a dandelion seed-like thing be a droplet?¡¯ She looked down at her wet palm with a curious nce and kicked Rem lightly around the waist and began to run around in the fluttering snow. Rem was also excited and hopped his feet, probably because he had been in the stable for weeks. She was getting excited by the cheerful rhythm between her thighs. Max burst intoughter and looked at the wind like a child with no worries. The snowkes, which had fallen gently one by one, gradually increased and filled the view with faint colors. An ecstasy came to the beautiful scene she saw for the first time in her life. She raised her head and enjoyed the sensation of the cold snowkes gently brushing her face. The snow glistened with a faint silver lining in the sun that leaked through the thin clouds, and theke regained its deep color and fluttered in silence. A couple of winter birds plummeted onto the dark surface and flew away into the forest. Max stared at all the sights as if she were going to capture them in her eyes and turned her head toward Riftan. Max was going to say thank you for bringing her to a nice ce. However, when she saw his face, she was speechless. Max looked at his sharp face with a strange thrill. Riftan¡¯srge body was visibly tense. His forehead was wrinkled, as if it contained deep agony, and the ck eyes shook violently like the sea in which the wind and waves met. Max pulled the reins tightly in confusion. She couldn¡¯t figure out why he was looking at her like that. Feeling faint fear and faltering back, Riftan, who was pping his lips as if he were trying to say something, shut his mouth tightly. There was a lonely look on his face. ¡°The clouds areing. Let us go back to castle before it snows more.¡± But he quickly went back to being a determined, outspoken man. Riftan said, turning his head with a grave face. ¡°When I¡¯m hit by snow, my body temperature drops quickly. We¡¯d better hurry.¡± Then he slowly started going back the way he hade. Max hurried after him. A strange silence fell between them. ¡®What was that just now?¡¯ She looked at his wide back with a confused look, then turned to the calmke. Her face was dimly reflected on the dark blue wave. Somehow it looked precarious and lonely, and Max felt a corner of her chest cool. ¡®That¡¯s ridiculous¡­.¡¯ There is only one thing in the world that puts the strongest and bold knight at risk. She quickly dispelled the strange feeling. Just in time, the wind blew his ck hair, poked her in the eye and flew eastward. Max frowned and turned her head toward the distant mountains along the wind. White snow was scattered like fog all over the mountain. The season of rest was getting so deep. *** Snow, which began to fall in thete afternoon, covered the whole world white until evening. Rudis was surprised that it had been almost 10 years since the Anatol had snowed like this. Max eximed that the whole white world was just amazing, but Riftan didn¡¯t enjoy it. He led the knight out of the castle early in the morning to see if there was any damage caused by snow in thepound. Even servants were busy cleaning up the snow. They meticulously swept the snow piled up on the stairs with broomsticks, covered it inyers to prevent firewood and other water from getting wet, and cleaned up the snow piled up in the backyard and garden to prevent the ground from freezing. The guards were busy clearing snow from the patrol route from the morning. Max, who was pacing the garden and looking around in the snow, saw them working and ordered Rodrigo to distribute more firewood than usual before returning to the room. She thought about going to the library, but she was discouraged by yesterday and didn¡¯t feel like looking into the book. Max sat on a rug in front of the firece and yed with the cats after a long time. Ron, Laura, and Roy, who have been loved by maids for the past few days, have been rolling on the floor cheerfully. Max tickled her plump stomach with the busy running cats on herp one by one. Laura and Ron whined away from their knees, but Roy, the ck cat, seemed to like what she touched,y still, grumbling and shaking. The lovely figure made herugh. ¡°Madam, would you like me to warm you up?¡± Rudis, who was putting firewood in the firece and bellowing, turned her head and asked. With a wee smile and nod, Rudis put a kettle in the firece to warm up the milk. The cat crept up on her skirt, smelling the savory milk that was spreading secretly. Even Laura, who pretended not to know even if she called her, smiled as she approached. ¡°Hey, hey¡­ Didn¡¯t you eat earlier, Ron?¡± ¡°He ate a te of porridge made with minced meat. All three of them are very gluttonous and eat endlessly.¡± Rudis shook her head, but cooled the goat¡¯s milk lukewarmly and poured it into the cats¡¯ exclusive bowls. The cats put their noses in the bowl and soaked their whiskers and drank milk. The small ones were so hungry that the bowl quickly revealed its bottom. Max found out that the milk had cooled down enough and poured her own into the cat¡¯s bowl. The cats ate up the rest of the milk. Watching the scene with joy, she was in a peaceful mood, and suddenly I heard a knock. ¡°Excuse me, My Lady.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°The Wizard hase. Would you like to meet him?¡± The maid¡¯s words from beyond the door clouded Max¡¯s face. Did hee here himself because she didn¡¯te to the library? Or did something happen again? Max got up from her seat with a nervous face and opened the door. Then she saw Ruth yawning with a disheveled look. The rxed appearance of Ruth drained her shoulder. Apparently, something happened again. ¡°What-what, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh, good morning, My Lady.¡± It was well past the morning, but Max didn¡¯t bother to correct it. Ruth yawned once again, stretching all the way, and said what she had to do. ¡°I came here because I thought of a good training method. Can youe outside for a moment?¡± ¡°G-good¡­ training method?¡± Max opened her eyes round. Ruth nodded vigorously with a childlike innocent face. Yesterday, even though she was disappointed, she quickly put on a robe as she felt expectations creeping up again. ¡°Oh, what h-how?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to induce Mana myself. You have a weak maic force, but you have good absorption, so I¡¯m sure this will work.¡± She looked a little worried. She doesn¡¯t know how to inject mana directly. She was also reminded of Riftan¡¯s request to be careful around Ruth because he made people around him get involved in a strange experiment. She asked with a suspicious face. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s safe, right?¡± ¡°Of course! Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s absolutely safe.¡± Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Trantors ¨C LN & LL Though she was not relieved, Max calmly followed him out. Ruth looked around, settled down in one of the vacant lots where the snow was cleaned up, and drew something on the ground with branches. Max approached aesthetically and looked down at it. On the ground, there was a basic magic trick that she had learnt yesterday. ¡°From now on, I¡¯m going to use this basic magic form to run mana. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve memorized it. Here¡­ we¡¯re going to rotate the mana through this path.¡± He continued his exnation by moving the end of the branch along the magic design. ¡°And at this point, I¡¯m going to turn the path and inject Mana into your Ma Ryok. Then, Mana will go through the palm of your hand to the heart, and discharge through the other side. And then we¡¯re going to circle around this magic clock again. In a word! I¡¯m putting you in as part of the magic.¡± Max rolled her eyes at the strange exnation. ¡°Well, C-Can I do it?¡± ¡°Your Ma Ryok is well developed, so it won¡¯t hurt your body. In fact, it¡¯s an expedient approach, but¡­ I¡¯ll sure it¡¯ll work. You¡¯ll learn how to operate mana at a fast pace.¡± She put her head in front of him, saying, ¡°You can make the calction soplicated that you can get a cramp on your head.¡± She doesn¡¯t trust him. However, Max finally nodded as she was tired of holding and groaning stones that had no effect. Ruth smiled confidently and held out his hands. ¡°Now, hold out your hands like this.¡± ¡°L-like this?¡± When Max held out her hands, Ruth put them on top of it with a span of distance. She was wondering what he was going to do, but a strange heat began toe down from her palm. Max flinched her shoulders in surprise. ¡°Focus. We¡¯re artificially creating a flow in Mana. You have to be familiar with this feeling.¡± ¡°Oh, I got it.¡± With Ruth¡¯s sincere voice, Max was nervous and paid attention to the itchy heat of the palm of her hand. It felt like he was dipping her hand in the warm water that was flowing. Focused on the soft wave for so long, Max shuddered at the sensation of a thin thread that was soon invisible, crawling through the skin and into the body. ¡°Don¡¯t lose focus.¡± Ruth immediately warned. Max pouted her cold sweat and paid attention to Mana¡¯s flow. The thin thread, which flowed smoothly through the forearm, wrapped the heart roundly past the elbows and armpits, then went out again on the arm and began to flow along theplicated magic hour. If Magic was a finely woven fabric, Mana was a thread. Magic was simr to the process of unwinding a few strands of thread called mana from a fabric, rolling them round in the body, and pulling them out as necessary and squeezing them into new patterns. It was only then that Ruth¡¯s repeated exnations were finally understood. Max looked down at her palms with awe-inspiring eyes. Mana began to spin at high speed in the hand, emitting strong heat, and soon created a small ray of light. ¡°The first thing God created was light.¡± Ruth smiled, looking down at the faintest light than the fireflies. ¡°Remember that. This is the magic that underlies all magic.¡± ¡°M-my hands are hot¡­ I- I¡¯m a little out of breath.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t cry with this much. High magic rotates mana at the speed of this.¡± Max gave a short breath and nodded. She could see why he looked so tired every time he used magic. ¡°I¡¯m going to take my time to get out of here. You try to keep this pace and rotate your mana.¡± Ruth slowly took her hand off. Max was at a loss as she didn¡¯t know what to do, but she tried to use her magic spell. At first, however, the flow of mana, which had been maintained at a certain speed, became disorganized over time, and the heat in her hands escaped like sand. She tried hard to keep it somehow, but even the small ray of light went out helplessly. She drooped her shoulders with discouragement. ¡°Don¡¯t be so disappointed. You did a good job at first.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Am I some kind of empty talker? I would have told you right away that it¡¯s terrible if it¡¯s terrible.¡± It¡¯s definitely left for this guy. Maxughed bitterly because she was relieved by his rudeness. Ruth smiled face to face and rolled up his sleeves curiously. ¡°Well, let¡¯s do this one more time. If you repeat it a few times, you¡¯ll get the hang of it.¡± ¡°Oh, I got it.¡± Max continued to focus on the energy as Ruth induced. After seven such attempts, Max was able to keep the small light on her own for about a minute. When she showed Ruth proudly with joy, he apuded as if he was proud. It was a little embarrassing but it is an achievement, the feeling of pride and excitement was rarely calmed down. Her heart was overflowing as if she had created a moon ball, even though she had only created a very small light that could not reveal a single small room properly. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you healing magic when you get used to it. Please practice the basic magic repeatedly until then. If you keep going, you¡¯ll have more mana in your body.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t think I can do it alone.¡± ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll induce you a few more times, so give it a try.¡± He said, rubbing his red nose. Come to think of it, she¡¯s been out for quite a while. She didn¡¯t even know my body cooled down because she was concentrating. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside now. You¡¯re going to catch a cold. I¡¯ve been having a runny nose since before. It¡¯s unusual.¡± ¡°W- why don¡¯t we go to the kitchen and get some warm soup?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I haven¡¯t even had breakfast, so I¡¯m almost stuck on my back.¡± Ruth swung the robe to the entrance of the Great Hall, raising it to his chin. Max grinned as she walked along. Even though her body was cold and shaking, her feet were as light as flying away. *** Max diligently practiced Mana energy as Ruth instructed. At first, Ruth had to induce two more times because she couldn¡¯t get the hang of it, but after that, she was able to create a small light on her own. As it was repeated, the light stem became clearer and became more and more clear enough to be used as a substitute for candles. Although she was as slow as an ant, Max had steadily improved her skills. There was a time when she passed out on her bed before the sun set because she enjoyed gathering mana slowly and her body absorbed too much since she was so focused on her practice. At that point, Riftan threatened to withdraw his words with a scary face saying, ¡°If this happens again the next morning, you can¡¯t learn magic.¡± From that day on, she also tried to measure her physical strength and practice. Usually during the day, she was confined to the library to study magic history, and after eating lunchte, she supervised servants, wrote a diary, and practiced magic until evening when Riftan returned. Fatigue piled up day by day on such a tight schedule, but she endured it firmly. Recently, Riftan was busy building weapons and training knights to prepare for the migration of the demons near the Anatomy Mountain. More than 20 Doves visited the windows of Riftan¡¯s office a day to gather information from all parts of the continent, and the knights and apprentices trained hard until the sun fell even in the cold weather. She couldn¡¯t stayfortable and rx on her own. Max worked hard to memorize and study theplicated magic written in the wizard, chasing the rush of sleepiness. Ruth, who had been watching such a scene quietly, made an unexpected suggestion. ¡°Shall we do some practice today?¡± Max looked up at him with a surprised look. ¡°Practice?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never used magic on a person yet. You must have learned the healing magic, let¡¯s give it a try.¡± ¡°B-but¡­ I¡¯m still nervous about controlling the energy. I-If I try and fail¡­.¡± ¡°Even if we fail, there is no harm to the human body. It is important to repeat magic several times. The more you master, the more speed and uracy you gain.¡± At Ruth¡¯s strong rmendation, Max nodded as if she could not win. To be honest, she wanted to do magic at least once. ¡°B-but¡­ Who do you want me to test?¡± ¡°Usually, the teacher makes a small wound on the body and helps the student practice¡­ I hate being sick.¡± Ruth spat out naturally and got up from her seat and opened the robe tightly. ¡°But fortunately, the castle is full of humans who are willing to get hurt, so you won¡¯t have any problems practicing. Let¡¯s go outside.¡± Max immediately noticed that he was going to the smoke field and looked nervous. Riftan still didn¡¯t like her learning magic. He doesn¡¯t trust me, but what if she fails? As she blurred his face with anxiety, Ruth quickly added. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Lord Calypse is guiding the Knight Apprentices. He won¡¯t be at the training ground.¡± Max stood up from her seat, surprised a little, wondering if he could see her inner feelings so clearly. Rudis, who was sewing by the brazier, quickly picked up her coat when she saw Max. Max prevented her from chasing her and came out of the library with Ruth. As she went down the stairs and stepped out of the gate, the sparkling sunlight poked her eyes. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Trantors ¨C LN & LL She squinted down the lifeless garden. In the flower bed, the snow that had fallen infrequently for several days had frozen white and was shining like a diamond, and the dry branches were shaking pitifully with a rustling sound of the wind. She quickly crossed the destedndscape with Ruth. As they passed through an empty garden and through a gate, she heard the sharp sound of the sword hitting, the sound of horses¡¯ hooves, and the loud chanting. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait a little bit.¡± Ruth, standing at the entrance of the training center, mumbled, kicking his tongue lightly. Max held out her head and looked down. Inside the huge training ground of the stadium hall, hundreds of knights sat on their horses and stood facing each other in eight long rows. They were all dressed in full-body metal armor and had a spear longer than their height in their hands. Max caught her breath without realizing it as the scene of tension. When the knight standing in the middle of them raised the red g high, the knights shouted and rushed toward each other. Max screamed and covered her eyes with both hands. The loud sounds of metal hitting, the cries of horses, and thunderous shouts echoed for a long time. It was such a fierce training that a slight vibration was delivered through the underlying stone floor. ¡°It¡¯s violent today.¡± Ruth whistled softly. Finally, as the surrounding area became quiet, Max slowly opened her eyes. The knights, standing in line again, came down from their horses one by one and were throwing off their helmets. Ruth pulled her arm. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go down. I don¡¯t think there are many people.¡± Max scrambled down the stairs, embarrassed. One of the knights who was organizing the spears and helmets looked suspicious when he saw them. ¡°Mr. Ruth, what are you doing here in the training ground?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see if anyone got hurt during training.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up with that? Didn¡¯t you tell me not to call you unless it¡¯s a crippling wound?¡± Hebaron, who took off his helmet and threw it randomly on the floor, said loud and sarcastically. His face looked more rugged than usual, perhaps because he was still heated. Under the vivid pressure of the knight, Max sneaked behind Ruth. However, Ruth pushed Max relentlessly to the front of the knights. ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t volunteer to do that. Mrs. Calypse will treat you.¡± Only then did the knights open their eyes wide, realizing that it was the wife of the lord who was standing behind him with a robe. Max gave an awkward smile at their shaky eyes. Recently, Max thought she had almost ovee it, but her fingertips were shaking with tension as she stood in front ofrge, armed men. Max pulled her Rob¡¯s sleeve, quickly hid it, and took her mouth off with difficulty. ¡°I¡¯m not good enough, but¡­I can t-try treating you-your wounds¡­.¡± The knights exchanged nces with embarrassed faces at the murmur. After a long awkward silence, Elliot Caron, who was standing in the front, stepped out. ¡°Thank you My Lady, but we can treat the simple wounds on our own. You don¡¯t have to mind.¡± A well-known knight refused so firmly. When she couldn¡¯t answer back, Ruth stepped in. ¡°Lord¡¯s Wife is learning magic right now. I need someone for us to practice healing magic, so I want you to cooperate.¡± ¡°Magic?¡± Hebaron, who was gulping down water from the water bottle, looked back with a surprised look. Other knights nced at Max as if it was unexpected. ¡°Does Lord¡¯s wife know how to do magic?¡± ¡°I-I am learning¡­ b-but I-I can¡¯t doplicated magic yet¡± The knights turned their eyes again, as if the story seemed incredible. Even Hebaron looked embarrassed, scratching his curly hair with sweat. ¡°Magician? that¡¯s a good idea. It¡¯s hard to fail and it might cause side effects. The training is intense these days¡­.¡± ¡°Even if you fail, healing magic has no side effects. It¡¯s a useless worry.¡± Still, the knights only looked at each other as if Ruth and Max are untrustworthy. Then Ruth red at the knights¡¯ faces one by one, crossing his arms to his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t have to exin to you how helpful a healer is. Now I¡¯m teaching you magic, depriving my sleeping time for the Anatol and the Knights of Remdragon! But you¡¯re not going to give me a little bit of help? Oh my god, great knights have a nerve!¡± With a rattling voice, Hebaron blocked his ears and made a sharp impression. ¡°Oh, you keep nagging. Who the hell said we wouldn¡¯t help? It¡¯s just because I didn¡¯t have any scratch from head to toe! Hey, is anybody hurt?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have enough mana yet, so it¡¯s hard to cure a major injury. If so, I would like someone with a minor injury to volunteer.¡± ¡°Why so tricky?¡± Hebaron, who was grumbling, suddenly pped his hand as if something hade to mind, and called a knight quietly watering a horse from a distance. ¡°Hey, Ricardo! You got a scratch on your cheek during the battle, right? Why don¡¯t you be the subject of the experiment?¡± The knight frowned at Hebaron¡¯s loud voice and threw a sharp look. Max shrugged her shoulders without realizing it. Uslin Ricardo, the blonde knight who was most hostile to her. He looked through the vein with a dry look and shouted bluntly at Hebaron. ¡°Be the subject of their experiment. You must have ck and blue bruises on your stomach because of the blow I gave you earlier.¡± ¡°What kind of bruise is that? It¡¯s just as itchy like a mosquito bite. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t brag. You stumbled like a scarecrow on a horse.¡± ¡°He¡¯s gone to the eye! My Lady, I think you need to treat his child in every corner.¡± Max nced at Uslin¡¯s cold face with an embarrassing look. Ruth approached him with a deep sigh as if he was fed up with the two¡¯s verbal fights. ¡°You have a scar on your cheek. I think Lord¡¯s wife will be able to treat it with this much. It won¡¯t take long, so please cooperate.¡± ¡°No need. You can leave this alone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better if you get better right away. What if there¡¯s a scar on your handsome face?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather have a scar than leave my face to an ice wizard.¡± ¨C Uslin, u little shit! The cold horse crept into Max mind. Even if she fails, there are no side effects, but he doesn¡¯t have to refuse so stubbornly. Max swallowed and uttered a trembling voice. ¡°Well, I-I p-practice a lot, you¡¯ll be fine¡­ I-It¡¯s not going to fail. ju-just give me a try¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut. Disgust clearly emerged on the cold face of the knight. He looked at her with disapproval and spouted coldly. ¡°Are you sure you can just memorize the order of spells?¡± ¨C that was rude! Max was red-hot from head to toe with shame. The fever went up so high that all her ears were burning and my eyelids were tingling. Max wanted to shout at him sharply, but she couldn¡¯t move as if my tongue had frozen. Max could not bear the embarrassment and bowed her head while only her lips were trembling. She wanted to be faithful to protecting her pride, but she couldn¡¯t face the knight¡¯s eyes. ¡°T-T-The order is¡­.¡± She managed to attract calmness and retort that she could do magic without casting a spell, but suddenly, a big hand grabbed her shoulder. Max looked back in surprise. When the hell did, hee? Riftan stood staring at the knight with scary eyes. Riftan pushed Max aside lightly and grabbed Uslin by the cor with one hand. ¡°Don¡¯t dare you talk to my wife like that.¡± Riftan almost lifted Uslin¡¯s body and roared like an angry hound with evil-door gums. The knight pushed his hand out to escape, but Riftan didn¡¯t budge. The knight¡¯s face quickly turned red because he was strangled at the foot of the cape. When they saw the scene, the knights panicked and hurriedly dissuaded Riftan. ¡°Calm down, Lord!¡± He didn¡¯t budge even though the two generals tried to stick together and tear it off. Riftan shook Uslin¡¯s body threateningly and let him go as if he were throwing it away. Other knights quickly helped him as he coughed out with a puffy face. Watching the scene with cold eyes, Riftan turned around and pulled Maxi¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back to the castle.¡± Max, who was standing in a daze, was led by Riftan¡¯s hand and moved. At that moment, Uslin¡¯s harsh voice echoed behind his back. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any pride?¡± Riftan stopped his towering steps and looked back at him. The knight rubbed his sleepy neck with one hand and wore an ax. ¡°Don¡¯t you even get angry! Who the hell made you suffer¡­How could you cover for a Croix daughter like that? What he did¡­!¡± Without anyone to stop him, Riftan rushed in and punched Uslin in the face. The knight¡¯s big body fluttered back. Max screamed in surprise. Riftan raised his fist again as if his anger was still lingering. The knights grabbed him by the arm in a panic. ¡°L-Lord¡­ hang in there!¡± ¡°Jesus¡­. Let¡¯s stop them!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that! It¡¯s going too far!¡± Riftan red at Uslin, who was stealing a torn mouth with his fist. Uslin¡¯s forehead, which seemed to be pressed by the brutal spirit, also broke out in a cold sweat. Riftan approached him as if he were overpowering him, and he chewed every word. ¡°If you talk about my wife like that one more time, I¡¯ll cut you from the mouth to the crotch.¡± ¨C I¡¯m stanning him hard rn! Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Trantors ¨C LN & LL Even if it wasn¡¯t for her, Max shook her back as it was frightening. After staring at Uslin¡¯s face for some time, Riftan shook off the hands of the knights holding him and grabbed her arm again and began to walk. Max nced embarrassingly at the people left behind and hurried up the stairs following him. Riftan who walks so fastpared to her, quickly passed through the gate. Max had to almost run to chase him across the garden. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­.¡± When she called him with a trembling voice, breathing heavily to her chin, Riftan barely stopped walking. Max didn¡¯t know what to say, her surprised heart calmed down a little, she felt ashamed and embarrassed. Of all things, at least for Riftan¡­ Max wanted to show him a noble and dignified appearance of her. Tears welled up all of a sudden, and she lowered her head hurriedly. Riftan was looking down at the scene of Max bursting into tears. ¡°So why would you say and do something unnecessary¡­!¡± Max shrugged her shoulders. As if swallowing a ball of fire, as Riftan¡¯s throat rang loudly. Sweeping his face roughly with his palm, Riftan uttered in a tight voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­you had to hear that.¡± On an unexpected apology, Max looked up at him with wet eyes. Riftan murmured a small swear word and held her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. So, don¡¯t cry.¡± Then Riftan lowered his head and rubbed his forehead against hers. Max gulped down her tears and grabbed his clothes tightly. Riftan wiped her tears, wondering what to do. ¡°I won¡¯t let them talk like that again. So, don¡¯t cry.¡± It was not Riftan¡¯s fault that the knight spoke that way. It was her fault, Max just despised herself for what she was, who¡¯s always hesitating, stuttering, and had no ability. (TL ¨C you¡¯re more than what you think max T.T) Her heart throbbed. If she were a respectabledy, he would not have fought with his knight. If Riftan had only married Princess Agnes, he would have received more respect than now. (TL- Oh, Jesus maxi, don¡¯t say that.) Max felt so embarrassed. She always hated herself, but she has never felt as terrible as she does now. Max buried her forehead in his chest and closed her eyes tightly. ¡°Well, I-I¡¯m fine now¡­ Ri-Riftan, you can go back to work.¡± ¡°Your eyes are red and bloodshot.¡± ¡°I-I can wipe it¡­ y-you don¡¯t have to worry about it, I-I¡¯m okay¡­¡± ¡°How can I not worry?¡± Max gave Riftan a perplexing look, unable to step away from the door. Long after returning to the room and being in his arms, she was embarrassed to face him because Riftan has to see her sniffle like a child. She was relieved by the butler¡¯s call to find Riftan. ¡°I-it¡¯s just¡­a l-little embarrassing b-but nu-now I¡¯m really okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be very careful not to let you take that attitude again.¡± Riftan spoke again in a strong tone. Max shook her head with a perplexing look. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to c-care about it¡­ b-because it¡¯s part of m-my job.¡± ¡°Of course I will.¡± He spoke in a rather nervous voice. ¡°You¡¯re the one I care most in the world. I know you¡¯re offended, but don¡¯t talk like that.¡± Max looked at his stiff face with a perplexing look. It was not her intention for Riftan to argue with his knights, but Riftan seemed to feel offended and want her to take a rest from her work. Looking into his shady eyes, Max smiled bitterly inside. Clearly, any proud noblewoman might have been whining to make any man pay for insulting a Lady. But Max knew well that she wasn¡¯t worth it. She tried to speak calmly with a faint smile. (TL ¨C you¡¯re worth it!) ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ I-I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be right back, take a rest.¡± ¡°Oh, I-I got it.¡± Riftan looked at her pale face for a long time to see if she was relieved, and barely opened the door and went outside. Max sat in front of the firece and stared nkly at the scene of the sparks popping up. The cats, who were ying with the seam of the rug, crept up on herp and pressed their heads into her stomach. She gave a deep sigh, stroking the cat¡¯s back. The shame stuck to her heart like oil scraps and made her heart stifling. Leaving Croix Castle and pretending to be a welldy did not change her fundamentals. She was still a stuttering Maximilian. Embarrassed by helplessness, she crouched her back. She was depressed and sad, the next moment, she was very anxious. There was a strong impatience, as if the sand castle that had been piled up would copse right away. Doesn¡¯t Riftan really feel ashamed? Wouldn¡¯t he be really shaken by his subordinates¡¯ humiliation? Won¡¯t he get sick of it someday? Max thought She was deeply ashamed of herself because she hated herself for having such doubts about the person that had given for her so much. The judgment in her was more embarrassing than anything else. When she went outside, the servants who were lighting the hallway quickly bowed to her. Max jumped up two floors of stairs in a heartbeat, receiving their greetings. Ruth is in the library, who she thought was still at the training grounds. She ran in front of him quickly. Ruth looked surprised at the sight. ¡°Today, I didn¡¯t expect you toe back. Is there a problem?¡± Max shook her head and took a breath. It was good to have run in high spirits, but when she is in front of him, she didn¡¯t know what to say. Seeing the sloppy figure, Ruth smiled bitterly and pointed to the opposite seat. ¡°Sit down for now. I was hesitating to go after you. Lord Calypse sure he¡¯d be at the door, but¡­.¡± He blurted out the end of his speech and gave a long sigh. ¡°Lady Calypse, are you relieved?¡± ¡°A l-little¡­¡± Ruth smiled bitterly at Max¡¯s insecure reply. ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡± ¡°Is t-the knight b-badly hurt?¡± ¡°He¡¯s good. If it was me, my jawbone would have been crushed. I think they controlled it in their own way, considering that it was just a bloody bruise.¡± A strange silence fell at the end of the remark. Max turned her eyes and looked at the sky, which was turning red, and moved her eyes one after another to the wizard¡¯s thin face and the desk where the books were piled up dizzy. What Max wanted to ask him didn¡¯te out of her throat like a thorn. Finally, Ruth opened her mouth first. ¡°First, I¡¯m sorry to make you hear something bad. It came to my mind that I should have exined to the Knights in advance and asked for their cooperation, rather than taking Lord¡¯s Wife with me so impulsively. I think it was too simple for me to think that the attitude of the knights towards Lord¡¯s wife has softened a lot recently.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I-It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Max was embarrassed and waved at the unexpected apology. ¡°Well, I-I¡¯m fine. I-I¡¯ve known all a-along¡­ that the knights d-doesn¡¯t like me¡­ and I-I don¡¯t also think I am trustworthy¡­¡± ¡°Even so, Lord Ricardo¡¯s attitude was rude. He was criticized by the other knights for publicly insulting the Lord¡¯s wife. Lord Ricardo will regret that he has gone too far.¡± Max smiled awkwardly. Ruth¡¯sst words did not sound credible at all, considering the attitude of the knights, staring at her with a face full of hostility. Ruth had a bitter smile on his mind, perhaps he knew she was bitter. ¡°You may not believe it, but Uslin not a tough guy. He¡¯s a picky person, but he¡¯s a consistent and faithful knight. His loyalty to Lord Calypse is so great that he has never fought like that before. Rather, he followed Lord Calypse more blindly than anyone else. But after that, he¡¯s been trying to protest everything¡­.¡± ¡°p-protest?¡± When she asked back with a curious face, Ruth¡¯s face briefly reminded her of hesitation. The wizard hesitated for a long time and then sighed. ¡°Lord Calypse refused to marry Princess Agnes.¡± Max hardened her spine after the unfamiliar name. Ruth looked at her expression for a moment and continued to speak in a grave tone. ¡°Sir Uslin Ricardo is a child of a noble family. He has been in and out of the Dracium Pce since he was a child, building friendships with the royal family. Therefore, Lord Ricardo is the most loyal member of the Order of Remdragon. On the day of the knight¡¯s appointment, he immediately offered a Land to Princess Agnes.¡± Land was a sign of the best reverence, respect, and admiration that a knight could offer once in a lifetime. Max had a confused face. If Uslin had given the Royal Princess a Land, it would be unreasonable to be so hostile to her. ¡°I-Is w-why they wanted Princess Agnes and R-Riftan to get married?¡± ¡°To be honest, yes. In fact, now that I¡¯m telling you, all the Knights of Remdragon thought that would happen. Those two had great chemistry inbat and they looked great on the outside. But Lord Riftan doesn¡¯t speak his mind very well¡­ Everyone talked about whether there would be good news after the punishment. Everyone thought it was almost a given, so they were surprised when Lord Calypse refused to the princess.¡± Ruth said so far, nced at her. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Trantors ¨C LN & LL Max wanted to pretend to be calm, but she couldn¡¯t help her stiff facial muscles. Ruth hurriedly turned away his face and coughed as if he saw nothing. ¡°The story was leaked to the point of no use. What I want to say is¡­ There¡¯s a reason why Lord Ricardo is being hostile to you. The knight blindly believed and followed Lord Calypse, who rejected thedy that was given to him and chose the daughter of the man he despised the most, so it¡¯s impossible to not be upset and get angry.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± Max nodded her head gloomily. She had been depressed before, thinking that marrying Princess Agnes would have been more beneficial to Riftan, and now Ruth¡¯s words confirmed that fact again and her heart sank infinitely. Because of his marriage with her, he created a feud with the royal family and even antagonized the knights. While staring at the edge of the desk, Max barely spat out her trembling voice. ¡°J-just in case¡­ b-because of me, division w-within the knights will¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. The solidarity of the Knights of Remdragon is much stronger than what you believe. I don¡¯t think any of the knights, except Lord Ricardo, are particrly hostile to you.¡± Max was a little relieved hearing his words, she was sure he was right since Ruth was the kind of person who says out loud what¡¯s on his mind. ¡°But if it¡¯s possible¡­ I want you to befortable¡­ I don¡¯t like the gloomy atmosphere that there¡¯s right now.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ I-I¡¯ll do it.¡± Max replied in an unconfident tone. Ruth also sighed hearing it, as if he had not high expectations. ncing at his tired face, Max recalled the things that had happened earlier. Her mouth was dry, so she swallowed and managed to open her lips, which felt as if they were glued. ¡°W-Well¡­¡± Ruth gave her a curious look. Max pretended to look away and opened a book. Her heart was thumping unsteadily. ¡°J-just in case¡­ I-I¡¯m asking because I want to know¡­.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Now, when asked, she frowned as if she was hesitating. Max drew courage and spoke. ¡°W-With Ruth¡¯s magic¡­ C-Can you¡­ uh¡­ f-fix me?¡± ¡°What do you mean with fix you?¡± Max¡¯s face flushed as she blinked back. Ruth, who seemed to get what she was saying only after seeing this scene, said ¡°Oh!¡± and gave a short sigh. ¡°Healing magic has no effect on disorders.¡± That was a fact she already knew: if magic could have solved it, her father would have used it before. However, she recently learned that there are many magicians in the world who create new kind of magic. Max has never been able to ask because she was afraid of being disappointed, but she had an expectation that Ruth could create a magic for her. She blushed and talked as if she was clinging to him. ¡°W-Well I-I know, b-but¡­ Ru-Ruth can develop new m-magic right? ¡­ Y-You just need to do a re-research.¡± ¡°If I do the research as you say, one day I could find a solution. In fact, many people study magic tricks to fix disorders such as dwarfism, deafness andmeness. However, no magic has been found so far to permanently repair defects in the body. Even if I work hard on my research, it will take decades toe.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± Max tried not to show disappointment, but her shoulders dropped. She pretended to be calm, smoothing her messy hair. ¡°Th-that¡¯s what I thought¡­ I, I just wanted to ask.¡± ¡°¡­¡± An ufortable silence fell again. Feeling restless, Max stood up. ¡°W-well then, I¡¯m going back. Ri-Riftan said he¡¯d be back soon.¡± ¡°Come on now, wait a minute¡­.¡± Ruth hurriedly caught her trying to turn around before she could go outside. Max opened her eyes wide at the embarrassment. He let out a low groan and uttered in a discouraged tone. ¡°If you go like this, I¡¯ll feel like I¡¯ve done something bad, My Lady.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Sit down for a second, let¡¯s think about it.¡± After rolling her eyes around, Max faltered and sat back on the chair. Ruth sat with his arms folded as if he didn¡¯t know what to say, looking up at the ceiling for a long time. ¡°Have you ever tried to fix your own stuttering?¡± It was a very insensitive question to ask. Max blushed and looked at him. ¡°Jesus, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not doing this on purpose. Do you think I like to ask this?¡± Max was beaten to the point where her skin was swollen and then healed, but as the days went by, the symptoms of stuttering only got worse. Ruth saw that Max¡¯s face was distorted with embarrassment and raised both hands defensively. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to insult you. I¡¯m asking you if your pronunciation and speech habits can be corrected to a certain extent by training.¡± ¡°C-Correction training¡­ Uh, w-when I was a kid¡­ I-I trained! B-but I didn¡¯t feel any better¡­¡± ¡°What kind of training did you take?¡± Max trembled slightly, recalling the terrible memory of reading a book in front of her father. Whenever she stuttered, her father would p her on the back with a riding whip. She tried hard to erase the frightening memory from her head, shedding only a fraction of the truth. ¡°Po-Poetry, or¡­ re-read the Bible¡­ Ro-Roem¡¯s literature¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, what¡¯s the point of practicing a conversation when you practice reciting old words?¡± Max¡¯s face got almost purple with difort. She had always covered it up and ignored it, but whenever the topic of conversation was mentioned, she just wanted to immediately run away from the spot. Max thought she had brought up a useless issue and looked anxiously at the door with regret, but Ruth was not ready to free her. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to practice a routine conversation over and over again?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­ I-I already d-did practice! Bu-but¡­ My tongue is stiff, i-it doesn¡¯t m-move.¡± ¡°You seem to have improved a lottely.¡± Max blinked her big eyes with surprise and Ruth smiled bitterly at her puzzled expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t you realize that? You speak morefortably these days, except when you¡¯re very embarrassed or nervous. If you practice speaking slowly and clearly in afortable atmosphere, wouldn¡¯t it be easy to fix it perfectly? I think it¡¯ll be much faster doing that, than solving it by magic¡­¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t say it¡¯s e-easy! I t-tried so h-hard b-but it didn¡¯t work out so far!¡± Ruth frowned at her rough tone. Max shrugged her shoulders, she was embarrassed that she overreacted to what he said: he was only giving her some advice. ¡°W-Well, whatever happens¡­ t-thank you for your advice. I-I¡¯ll think about i-it.¡± Ruth parted his lips as if he was about to say something more, but then just closed his mouth. Max got up from her seat and left the library as if she was running away. However, while she was running out like that, Max had a faint doubt in her mind: there really wasn¡¯t any hope of fixing it? Didn¡¯t she think, talking to herself from time to time, that it seemed to be better than before? Max, who was moving quickly across the hall, stopped in front of the stairs. Her father hated her opening her mouth in public: because of this, Max was confined to her room with a tutor. Even after her liberation from such a harsh education, she did not open her mouth unless it was necessary. It was because of the embarrassing look in people¡¯s eyes, she was ufortable with their look of frustration. Max even thought of wanting to die if someone asked her to repeat what she said, since it was hard to understand. Getting older, she did not say a single word for months. Recalling it, Max suddenly realized that speaking recently didn¡¯t feel so terrible. Sometimes it was fun to have a conversation. It was an unbelievable change. ¡°Maybe the symptoms get worse when I am silent.¡± She didn¡¯t know. Her memory was so distorted that she couldn¡¯t even tell if she was the same woman who acted as the hostess of Calypse Castle. Max bit her lips. Perhaps while she was with her father, she had crushed all her possibilities. Max told Ruth that she tried, but she wasn¡¯t sure if she really did. In fact, she¡¯s had given up for a long time. ¡°But¡­ I can¡¯t believe I-I can fix it on my own n-now.¡± She hesitated because she was afraid of fretting over useless hopes. Then suddenly Riftan¡¯s face came to her mind. When she remembered his fierce anger because of her, Max heart tightened painfully. She couldn¡¯t let Riftan punch people whenever she was insulted. Among the arrogant aristocrats, some may mock him for having a stuttering wife. Max stared dimly under the railing with a cloudy look and grabbed her skirt. Chapter 138: Announcement Announcement We now have a Proofreader, Nymeria. Thanks to them, you will have a smoother and better reading experience! Chapter 138 Trantors ¨C LN & LL The next day, after some hesitation, Max headed back to the library. Fortunately, Ruth greeted her with an air of relief, acting like nothing had happened. She sat with the magic book opened and stared at it for a while. After getting so angry the day before, she was embarrassed to talk again. For a long time, Max struggled to open her mouth, only looking blurrily at the letters in the book. ¡°Uh, what I said yesterday¡­ I m-mean¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Ruth, who in the meanwhile was focused on his job, looked at her. Max swallowed and continued awkwardly. ¡°Y-You told me i-if I practice m-my way of speaking, I¡¯ll get better. H-How should I d-do it?¡± Ruth nodded, ¡°Oh, about that,¡± and soon responded in a sour way. ¡°Well, if you¡¯d like, I¡¯ll look for an efficient calibration. But first, wouldn¡¯t it be helpful to talk as much as possible in afortable environment?¡± ¡°Talk as much as possible¡­?¡± ¡°The more you do, the better you get. You should stay calm and talk as much as you can. When you¡¯re excited your speech gets faster and you stutter get worse. In that case, remaining calm seems more important than anything else.¡± Being criticized so directly, she lowered her eyes with embarrassment. ¡°Oh, I-I got it. And¡­ w-well, what should I do?¡± ¡°Well¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be helpful to practice talking slowly and clearly? It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s slow. The purpose is to master the pronunciation, you can do that practicing your speaking over and over again.¡± Max ufortably rolled her eyes around, blushed and slowly spoke, loosening her stiff tongue. ¡°I¡­ got it¡­ Like this?¡± ¡°Yes, like that. You should be patient and slowly say what you want to say.¡± ¡°I should?¡± ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll look for another way to correct it. Let¡¯s try one way or another.¡± Max, who thought there might be a special way to correct it, looked slightly disappointed. Well, no matter how smart Ruth was, he was not omniscient. In the end there wasn¡¯t an easy way to fix it, so Max buried her face in the book again, holding in her disappointment. Ruth, who stared at this scene and stroked his chin as if he was thinking about something, opened his mouth again. ¡°Well, in the end you didn¡¯t get to practice yesterday.¡± Max hardened her face by Ruth¡¯s easy-going words. ¡°If I¡­ go¡­ There might be c-chaos once again¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to the training ground. Isn¡¯t this castle full of people besides knights? If we go to the kitchen, there might be at least one or two servants who cut their hands while cutting or cooking in front of the fire.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there might be, but¡­.¡± When Max hesitated, Ruth spoke in a rather strong tone. ¡°It¡¯s really important to master magic. No matter how many brilliant magic theories and sophisticated magic histories you put into your head, it¡¯s useless if you don¡¯t develop your ability to implement them.¡± ¡°I-I know¡­ I j-just thought they wo-would hate it¡± ¡°The servants won¡¯t hate it. They won¡¯t be able to take care of minor injuries because they¡¯re busy working all day, so they¡¯d rather like it if you give them treatment.¡± After hesitating, Max finally got up from her shabby seat. As he said, she couldn¡¯t avoid it forever, however she barely had the courage to ask since she had suffered a bitter rejection the day before. Max chased Ruth like a goat being dragged to the ughterhouse. What if she failed to test the magic in front of the servants? In that case, Max thought she was going to be ridiculed because of it. With a grim imagination like a habit, Max pushed her feet into the kitchen. Fortunately or unfortunately, the kitchen, which was always crowded, was quiet on that day. ¡°Good morning, My Lady.¡± The chef, whistling and stirring in the pot with adle, smiled cheerfully at her. ¡°Is there anything you need?¡± ¡°I-In particr, I¡¯m here for business¡­¡± At her mumbling words, Ruth held out like a watchman behind her and pushed her back with his shoulder. Max, who was frowning, sighed. ¡°J- just in case¡­ I-Is there s-someone with a w-wound on the body or that has b-been hurt? ¡°Hurt?¡± The chef scratched his big head with a puzzled look on his face. Ruth pushed her back one more time, as if suggesting her to exin it properly. Max, irritated by his behavior, red at him and opened her mouth again. ¡°I-Is there someone who was c-cut with a knife¡­ Burnt by fire¡­ wrist or leg folded¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happens every day! Especially that Chrome guy over there, he¡¯s usually clumsy so his hands are all covered with wounds. Just a moment ago, he burned his palms while taking the bread out of the oven.¡± Max turned her head and looked at the servant named Chrome. He was a small, thin boy with a face ckened by soot, maybe sixteen years old, and he was cutting something with a cloth wrapped around his palms. Max took a deep breath and then talked. ¡°Well, that boy¡­ C-Can you call him for me?¡± The chef, who had a curious look on his face, immediately called the boy. ¡°Hey! Chrome! Come here, My Lady is looking for you.¡± At the loud shout of the chef, the boy flinched his back as if he had been struck by a lightning and ran like an arrow from a bow. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, My Lady?¡± Thinking he had made some mistake, the boy bent down with his face dyed ck, while the chef gave a weird look, as if he was curious about what their Lady was looking for. Max spoke in a dignified manner after a bad, bad cough. ¡°I-I heard you got hurt¡­ Can you s-show me?¡± ¡°You mean my hand, My Lady?¡± Chrome, who was blinking his eyes with a puzzled face, unwrapped the cloth around his hand in a hurry: the red burn made his soft palms look very harsh. Max ignored his anxious eyes and took a deep breath, with her hand slightly resting on the wound, making the boy¡¯s shoulders tremble because of the faint pain. Max felt sorry for him because she didn¡¯t even exin anything of what she was doing. However, she thought it would make her more anxious if she exined it to him, so Max slowly boosted her mana without saying anything until a hot feeling gathered in the palm of her hand and began to permeate the boy¡¯s wound smoothly. The servant also opened his eyes wide as he felt the pain slowly going away. Max slowly took her hand off after injecting enough mana only to see that the boy¡¯s hands were healed cleanly. ¡°Oh, my God¡­!¡± There was an exmation everywhere. However, the person who was most surprised was Max. She didn¡¯t know that she would seed on her first attempt. Max, who stared nkly at the boy¡¯s hand with a surprised face, suddenly jumped around Ruth. ¡°Ruth, it¡¯s a sess! I-I-I seeded!¡± ¡°You did a great job! That¡¯s great for being the first time!¡± Ruth smiled broadly and patted her on the back. Encouraged by the sess of the first spell, Max looked back at the servants and shouted confidently. ¡°I-I¡¯ve been learning h-healing magic for weeks now. I-I need someone to p-practice with. Is there a-anyone else who has a s-scratch on their body?¡± ¡°Can we volunteer?¡± Max looked back with surprise at the sudden sound of the voice. At the entrance of the kitchen stood Lord Hebaron and Lord Caron, with a young knight whose face she barely recognized. It was rare to run into knights at this time, unless they went to the cksmith, so Max was embarrassed as if she had been caught red-handed. Lord Caron politely said to her: ¡°I¡¯m sorry if we surprised you.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were this good, and we were disrespectful yesterday.¡± ¡°I- I understand¡­¡± Max waved awkwardly at Hebaron who was deeply bowing to her, he then came inside scratching the back of his head awkwardly. ¡°I got hurt during the battle¡­ Can I get treatment now?¡± He showed her a small scratch on the back of his hand. Max¡¯s eyes alternated between his face and the back of his hand with a puzzled face, she couldn¡¯t really get a grasp on the sudden change in attitude of the knight. When she didn¡¯t answer back, Hebaron¡¯s face looked bitter. ¡°As expected, the behavior of yesterday made you feel¡­ offended?¡± ¡°Oh, no! It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m a l-little surprised. Come on, s-sit here. I-I¡¯m going to¡­¡± The servants quickly brought chairs for them to sit down and the knights lined up in front of her, pretending in an exaggerated way to be in pain. Max swallowed. If she failed because she was nervous¡­ Max felt a lot of pressure on her shoulders because she thought it would be a disgrace. Ruth, who was watching the scene from behind,ughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be too nervous. Everyone was worried about what happened yesterday, so they came here with an excuse.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m bleeding like this!¡± Hebaron¡¯s word impressed her and then she didn¡¯t even notice anything else, starting to focus. Pointing to the visible wound she said: ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be a fail, but¡­¡± Ruth clicked his tongue as if it were absurd and she inadvertently smiled at therge, distracted knight. Suddenly, she felt much lighter. Max rxed and put a healing spell on the knight¡¯s hand. Seeing the scar disappearing in a blink of an eye, Hebaron poured out enthusiastic praise as if he had never witnessed even greater magic, so Max finally burst intoughter at the ridiculous exaggerated attitude. When he saw it, Hebaron smiled along. ¡°Don¡¯t mind what Uslin said yesterday, he just likes to say whateveres to his mind.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Hebaron smiled and got up from his seat, Max then proceeded to cast healing spells on the knights one after another. Once she had healed all the knights, she even treated the minor wounds of her servants. Except for the boy whose hands were burned, all those injuries were good enough to be left alone, but Max quickly became exhausted anyway, due to her little amount of mana. However, her heart was full of energy and she smiled proudly as she wiped her sweaty forehead. Even if it wasn¡¯t that great, she was so happy to be able to help someone. It was a meaningful development for her, who had always been told that she was a useless human being: she seemed to have gained value for the first time in her life. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, please feel free to make us a test subject. I¡¯ll tell the other knights.¡± Hebaron looked back at thedy just before he went outside. Max nodded with a shy smile. TL ¨C way to go Maxx! Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Trantors ¨C LN & LL After that day, Max often went down to the kitchen to cast healing spells on her servants. Sometimes, she treated the injuries of the knights too. Sitting in the kitchen every day and repeating the healing magic five or six times a day, her skills were improving steadily and she was able to treat pretty big wounds too. However, the stuttering showed no signs of getting better. Every day, she locked herself in a room alone and practiced speaking clearly or tried to talk to people she encountered sitting in front of the firece in the restaurant, but her tongue only felt dull. Max continued to practice memorizing pronunciation symbols in order or reciting the words of a minstrel in the air every day, trying not to be frustrated. It was not as easy as Max thought because she had to do it in secret, when she was alone, since she didn¡¯t want to show such a pathetic figure to Riftan or to the servants. Max couldn¡¯t neglect studying magic and organizing the castle either. Furthermore, the garden had to bendscaped as soon as the winter season was over, so Max was already racking her brain having to deal with the nning and the budget with Rodrigo and merchant Aderon. As she approached the end of winter, there were so many things to do that she wanted to double the day. ¡°Your face seems to have be emaciated recently.¡± Riftan said as he changed into a new outfit after taking a bath, stroking Max¡¯s cheek. She smiled awkwardly. Trying to do unfamiliar things at once was naturally too much for her, she had been waking up at dawn thest few weeks and falling asleep when he did. After following the energetic knight¡¯s lifestyle, there was even a dark shade under her eyes. Max frowned as he swept her eyes lightly with his thumb. ¡°As expected, you¡¯re overdoing your magic, aren¡¯t you? I think you¡¯ve been practicing a healing spelltely, and that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°I w-want to practice¡­ I have to do it c-consistently f-for me to improve¡­everyone¡¯s c-cooperating with me. I¡¯m doing it for you. I- I don¡¯t use up that much mana¡­ I¡¯ll treat you if got hurt¡± She carefully examined his expression as she tried to speak calmly. Riftan was working three or four times harder than her, but his face showed no signs of exhaustion. How can he not yawn even though he sleeps for three to four hours and not just for a day or two, but everyday? She looked at him, a little curious. Riftan discussed and supervised the daily production of new weapons in the cksmiths, trained guards and apprentices, and recently began to n the groundbreaking of road construction that would begin in theing water season. Even if she split her body into two or three, Max wouldn¡¯t be able to handle half of what he was doing. Nevertheless, Riftan¡¯s face had a goodplexion and his muscr body was full of energy. Riftan held her with warm arms, ced her on hisp, and gently caressed her ears and the back of her neck. ¡°Is there no one being rude to you?¡± ¡°Uh, no.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s the hard work? ¡°I-It¡¯s not hard work¡­¡± There was a slight crease between Riftan¡¯s eyebrows and he talked with a little nervousness. ¡°You¡¯ve never used to talk about anything, buttely I¡¯ve only heard that kind of answer.¡± ¡°W-Well, really¡­ everyone¡¯s nice to me. There¡¯s no one rude¡­¡± Unable to figure out what kind of answer he wanted, Max blurted out the end of her sentence and then remained silent. Riftan sat with his back against the cushion and looked down at Max for a long time. ¡°I heard you started nning your gardenndscaping.¡± ¡°W-when springes¡­ The visitors will ce and I think we should d-decorate it before then¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much work? It must be hard to supervise the servants¡­¡± Max smiled bitterly at his worried voice, who was saying that there was a lot of work? ¡°Compared to Ri-Riftan¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Hey, who the hell are youparing me to? I¡¯ve been training all my life. My physical strength is superior to other knights. On the other hand, you¡¯re weaker than normal women.¡± ¡°I- I¡¯m not weak. I-I¡¯m healthy.¡± Max rarely fainted when her father whipped her back to bleed, therefore she thought she was healthier than thosedies who screamed and fainted just because they saw a little mouse. However, Riftan snorted as if he had heard something ridiculous. ¡°What are you saying, ady who¡¯s been inside the castle all her life?¡± He grabbed her waist with his big tan hand and frowned anxiously. ¡°Look, you¡¯re not even a handful. You¡¯re as thin as half my body.¡± ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­ you¡¯re just too big¡­ Well, I¡¯m normal.¡± Riftan crinkled his nose. ¡°There is no woman I know who is as thin as you. I get nervous when I watch you.¡± Hearing his words, Max looked a little puzzled. She wasn¡¯t very tall and she was skinny, but she wasn¡¯t as thin as he was painting her. Yet, he looked genuinely worried. Was there a woman who was tall and well-built enough to be around Riftan? Surely, Princess Agnes was strong and energetic enough to participate in the expedition. Max imagined an imposing and beautiful woman standing next to him and just by drawing in her head such a pair that looked as good as a picture, her heart ached as if she was being stabbed. At that point, Max couldn¡¯t understand why she wasparing herself to a woman she had never seen before. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. Like that¡­ you know, to the point of worrying¡­¡± When she spoke in a slightly stronger tone with a tearful feeling, Riftan¡¯s hand, which was caressing her back, flinched a bit. He distorted his mouth and spoke in a concerned voice. ¡°But I¡¯m worried about you standing in front of the wind.¡± Then Riftan hugged her body a little and pressed his chin firmly against the top of her head. Max leaned her head against his thick chest and listened quietly to his beating heart. Outside the window, sleet was flying like a ghost. Max was aware of the strange tension that flowed in the silence: at some point there began to be subtle cracks in between them. Riftan struggled to be affectionate to her and cared excessively, but he just couldn¡¯t tell her. Sometimes he felt like he didn¡¯t want to share more than a bedroom with Max, but it wasn¡¯t right to me his attitude alone. She was the same, in fact she could not easily open herself to him either, could not stay natural in front of him and never wanted to show him a lowly appearance. Max was more nervous when she spoke in front of Riftan than in front of anyone else and was afraid that he would be discouraged with her. Ironically, the bigger Max thought of him, the thicker the wall she faced him with. Because of that wall, their rtionship was at a certain point failing to deepen. Max wanted to believe that her idea was just an excessive delusion. There was no such thing as a deeper rtionship in the world, they already shared the same bed, and he kept her safe and supported her withoutcking. She was overseeing the household of Calypse Castle for him, and one day she would give a sessor to him. As far as she knew, it was enough for any couple. Furthermore, they were forced into a rtionship by her father¡¯s selfishness, it may even be impudent to hope for more than that. With those thoughts, Max drove out a sense of ipatibility in her heart. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything today, I know you¡¯re tired, so rx.¡± Riftan said as he suddenly touched her stiff shoulders. He seemed to have guessed that she was nervous because she didn¡¯t want to work in the bedroom. Max tried to say something, but she just closed her mouth. She wanted to be in his arms, but she was actually very tired and she was embarrassed to reach out first. Riftan rubbed his lips on her forehead and whispered in a serious voice. ¡°You need a break.¡± Heid her on the bed and turned off the bedsidemp. Then naturally lying next to her, Riftan pushed one arm under her head. Max dug into his side and wiggled. His body smelled sweet and masculine and as she inhaled it deeply into her heart, Riftan tossed and turned a little ufortable, sighing softly and patting her shoulder. Max savored his touch with satisfaction. She felt his body firm against her thighs, but no further contact was made with Riftan. In thefort and tranquility of his wide arms, she slowly fell asleep. *** The next day, winter rain began to fall. As a result, the training seemed to have ended early and, as Max was reading the magic book while eating ate lunch, soaked knights rushed into the kitchen. Max greeted them cautiously. Recently, the knights that had been bluntly ignoring her, dly began to speak to her thanks to her frequent talking and healing magic. She was so happy about the change. The knights grabbed the food she had given them and started to talk about stories as the bread that was just baked melted in their mouth. While exchanging suchme stories, Max was smiling. Suddenly she saw Yulysion approaching the kitchen and she ran to him in surprise. The boy¡¯s face was covered in blood. ¡°W-What¡¯s going on? W-What happened¡­?¡± TL ¨C My heart sank when Maxi mentioned his father whipping her¡­ poor baby! Also Riftan was struggling here, poor baby to him too, but in a different way lmao Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Trantors ¨C LN & LL Note: The two young knights who appeared in chapter 65 were named Yurixion Lobar and Garow Livacon, we¡¯re now changing their names in Yulysion Rovar and Garrow Livakion since we think it¡¯s a more urate trantion. ¡°Greetings, My Lady.¡± The boy gave her a casual greeting that didn¡¯t suit his terrible condition. Max looked coldly at the boy¡¯s ruined face and told the servants to prepare a clean cloth and hot water. Sir Gabel, who followed him into the kitchen, saw the scene and sighed deeply. ¡°Winter rain made the field all wet, and today was the day these young men were supposed to be trained in horseback riding. He was riding a horse and rolled on the ground just like that.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t just me who rolled and got injured¡­¡± Sir Caron groaned as he rubbed his hair. Yulysion scraped his blood-soaked hair with a distant face. ¡°Because of me¡­ I¡¯m really sorry, Sir Caron.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the third person to put me on the ground, kid.¡± Lord Caron grumbled and stood in front of the firece, drying his wet body. Max frowned a little angry at the boy¡¯s appearance, who showed no signs of concern even though he was covered in blood. ¡°Y-Yulysion, don¡¯t touch your h-head! There¡¯s blood, it¡¯s still b-bleeding. Come on¡­ sit down. I¡¯ll t-treat you with the h-healing magic¡± ¡°It just looks like this but it¡¯s not that serious My Lady. The blood already stopped, I can¡¯t burden you¡­¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t be silly¡­ sit down.¡± Max pulled his arm a bit roughly and sat him on a chair near the fire. The boy opened his eyes wide, surprised by her actions, but Max was genuinely worried about Yulysion, who looked like a wounded wild dog. Max bent over his head and looked carefully at the wound. Lord Gabel handed her a clean towel soaked in hot water. ¡°I think my scalp was torn when I fell because I used a saddle that didn¡¯t fit. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with the bone, but¡­ I¡¯ve a pretty long wound, would that be okay?¡± ¡°I-if you¡¯re hurt like this¡­ with m-my magic, I-I can cure it.¡± Max carefully wiped the blood with a towel and examined the injury. A long wound was seen between the silver hair stained with blood. She put her hand on it and used the magic to control the mana. Thanks to her steady umtion of mana, she was now able to perform healing magic at a pace simr to Ruth¡¯s. She checked from his hair to his forehead and carefully examined the wound¡¯s healing. ¡°W-Where else¡­ are you okay now?¡± ¡°I am alright, My Lady.¡± He said with a red glow on his white, freckled cheeks. Max pulled off her hand awkwardly because she thought she touched him too casually. Yulysion was a boy with a slender frame and a face as pretty as that of a woman, but he was also scheduled to soon be a member of the Remdragon Knights. It would not be appropriate to treat him as if he was still a child. She smiled awkwardly and handed him a clean new towel. ¡°Uh, the b-blood on your face¡­ you n-need to wipe it all.¡± ¡°Oh! Thank you, My Lady.¡± Yulysion wiped his face with a wrinkled smile. ¡°I have a lump in my head, can you take a look?¡± Lord Caron, who was still standing in front of the fire, asked her to check around the back of his head. Max immediately cast a healing spell on him, too. In the meantime, the knights who were drying themselves with towels sat down in front of the table and began to eat the food brought by the maids. At that point, Max could only have a meal with them. It was unusual to sit in front of the same table at that time because the knights usually settled their lunch in the knight¡¯s quarters, next to the training center, and she was nearly confined to the library. She scooped up the almost cold stew and looked around the long table, packed with big, distracting knights. ¡°I-Is the Lord¡­ out of t-the castle¡­?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the Oval Office in a meeting with Lord Hebaron, Lord Uslin, Lord Lombardo¡­ And the wizard too.¡± ¡°Meeting¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about nning for theing season of water.¡± Sir Gabel, who was sitting across from her and eating the steaming soup, burst out. ¡°There is a hierarchy within the Knights. The better the knight, the stronger the voice. At the end of winter, the leader often meets with them to discuss their future ns. Recently, monsters from the north are moving closer, so we also need to make a barrier against them. ¡° ¡°Can I take part in the next round of corrective action?¡± Yulysion, who was eating food in a hurry, joined the conversation with his eyes shining. Sir Caron was tantly fed up with him. ¡°If we look at today¡¯s big mistake, we¡¯ll have to postpone your knight¡¯s appointment until next year.¡± ¡°I agree. You rolled in the mountains during the Goblin siege, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re so careless that you won¡¯t pass the initiation ceremony properly. You look like you¡¯re having a hard time catching a bull lizard, let alone a half dragon.¡± Gabel¡¯s sarcasm made Yulysion angry, and he shouted. ¡°I will never make this mistake again! Not one-half dragon, but two! I can catch even three of them!¡± Max couldn¡¯t keep up with the back-and-forth conversation and Lord Caron, who was having a decent meal beside her, exined it in a polite tone, as if he noticed what she was curious about. ¡°Remdragon¡¯s initiation is to hunt down the dragon¡¯s subspecies. We can only be recognized as a member of our team if we have acquired the Dragon Mana Stone before the ceremony. It¡¯s a ceremony of the Knights of Remdragon.¡± ¡°In fact, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a demon with a mana stone. But Banryong is perfect for beginners.¡± A young knight with dark brown hair intervened and enthusiastically helped exin. ¡°Catching a bulldozer would be aughingstock, and it would be hard for a new knight to hunt high-quality creatures like Wyvern, Hydra or Vasilisk.¡± ¡°Ban-Banryong¡­ What k-kind of¡­ devil?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a demon that looks very much like a dragon. The average size is 20 to 30 cubic feet, covered with hard scales, sharp fangs and ws. But unlike dragons, they don¡¯t have wings, and they can¡¯t use the breath.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re not easy ones. Topensate for their inability to fly, they¡¯re agile and have fast legs, so if they start to chase you, you can¡¯t run away even if you¡¯re riding a horse and running at full speed. They have a very good sense of smell too, so they can find any ce you¡¯re hiding in.¡± ¡°They have a strong grip, so most magic doesn¡¯t work.¡± The knights began to help each other one by one as if they were trying to scare the apprentice. ¡°The most troubling thing is that they live in groups: they¡¯re not that smart, but they have excellent cooperative skills. When they find a prey, they send signals to each other and persistently track it down. A green knight is not a beast that can hunt three or four of them.¡± ¡°Ah! I can see the future. It¡¯s a terrible ending for Rovar, the clumsy guy, to rush into a Banryong only to be its lunch!¡± ¡°Are you going to have lunch? There¡¯s nothing left for a little guy like you to chew on.¡± But it was Max¡¯s face that got blue because of their teasing. She looked anxiously at the boy, who had an innocent face and a slender figure. It was a terrible ordeal for a young man who was only seventeen years old. ¡°Come on, y-you can¡¯t go to the hunt¡­r-right? Garrow, who was silently eating in the corner until now, opened his mouth. ¡°He¡¯ll do it with me. Yulysion and I are the only two knights to hold the ceremony this year.¡± Max parted her lips in disbelief. Garrow was only a year older than Yulysion, he was taller and had a better physique, but he did notpletely throw off the immature boy¡¯s appearance. She was more and more ashamed of herself. ¡°Y-you two are going? Isn¡¯t it t-too dangerous?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t take that risk, you don¡¯t deserve to be a member of the Knights of Remdragon.¡± Lord Caron said firmly. ¡°And the skills of Rovar and Livakion are enough, as long as they don¡¯t make stupid mistakes like today.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll have to bring in the biggest one to restore his reputation.¡± Yulysion lifted his chin high and nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll see. I will make new boots for you with the scales of the Banryong I¡¯ve caught.¡± ¡°Oh, just don¡¯t be a Banryong¡¯s toothpick.¡± The knights giggled and burst intoughter. Max was stunned by their casual, vicious jokes. Are they not worried about these innocent boys jumping into danger? As she frowned and stared disapprovingly at them, Sir Gabel, who was giggling, suddenly grabbed his stomach andughed from across the room, saying: ¡°Hey, don¡¯t talk dirty in front of My Lady.¡± The word ¡°dirty¡± was also part of the harsh words that should not be said in front of ady, but instead of pointing it out, Max continued to express concern about the apprenticeship knights. ¡°It¡¯s not like y-you¡¯re doing it, aren¡¯t you? Yulysion and Garrow y-you¡¯re young, you¡¯ll be in danger, w-what if you¡¯ll g-get hurt? S-Someone should help you¡­¡± ¡°We are not children to take care of, My Lady. We don¡¯t need a guardian for a test to be recognized as a decent knight!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s insulting.¡± Yulysion and Garrow protested at her words with a sulky look on their faces and Max stared at them with a puzzled look. Are they not afraid to die or get hurt? The boys didn¡¯t look a bit frightened or intimidated by the trials ahead, instead they had a confidence which was close to arrogance that made Max even more astonished. She had lived four or five years more than them, but she didn¡¯t have half the courage they had. ¡°I¡­ I-I didn¡¯t mean to i-insult you. I¡¯m just¡­ w-worried¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about since they both have a special talent for swordsmanship.¡± Suddenly, Max looked up at the sudden sound and saw Hebaron and Riftan walking into the kitchen. TL ¨C I love seeing Maxi so friendly with the knights, they allughing and talking with her¡­ if this isn¡¯t character development! And I¡¯m sure there¡¯s still much toe <3 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Trantor ¨C LL Proofreader ¨C Nymeria ¡°You are inexperienced, but you¡¯re already as good as any other knight. Especially in terms of talent, you¡¯re evenparable to Lord Riftan.¡± At Hebaron¡¯s words, Yulysion immediately jumped up. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯m not even close to the feet of Lord Riftan¡¯s feet!¡± ¡°¡­ it would be really useful if you could just fix that insincere personality.¡± Hebaron sighed deeply and told the servants standing behind him to serve more food. Riftan sat right next to Max, ignoring all the conversations, and she smiled awkwardly at his sharp face. Riftan, wearing a ck tunic and a gold belt, was giving off a seductive charm like the devil in the Bible, but at the same time he looked cold. After that day¡¯s incident, Riftan was as alert as a watchman whenever he witnessed her being around the knights. He seemed worried that someone might hurt her, just like Uslin did. ¡°You didn¡¯t rush during the meal, did you?¡± ¡°Oh, no. T-the knights¡­ T-they were e-exining about t-the initiation c-ceremony¡­¡± Sir Gabel didn¡¯t sumb to Riftan¡¯s mboyant attitude and entered the conversation with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t Rovar and Livakion have to make a deration before the ceremony? It¡¯s right before the water season that the Banryongs wake up from their lethargy.¡± Riftan stroked his chin with a thoughtful look. ¡°Are you training them to hunt the beasts?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing it, somehow. But I think it would be better to gain more hands-on experience before the initiation ceremony or they won¡¯t be trustworthy.¡± At Lord Caron¡¯s severe words Yulysion pouted in protest, but when Riftan¡¯s eyes came to him he immediately straightened his mouth and posture. Riftan carefully examined the two apprentices with a sharp look. ¡°You guys should join the next scouting. A marmul hunt is different from normalbat, it would be helpful to have hands-on experience.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Riftan smirked at their quick answer. The eyes of the boys who were looking up to Riftan were filled with awe, respect and admiration, and he seemed to be somehow affectionate to the young knights too. Max was envious of the strong bond between them: she was there with them, but she didn¡¯t really belong in their world. On the other hand, Yulysion and Garrow were about to be knights in a few months and share all the risks with Riftan. She felt left out in the corner, thinking they were closer to him than she was herself. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t like the food? Should I ask the servants to prepare you something else? Riftan frowned and asked as he realized that her spoon was no longer moving. Max shook her head. ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯ve had enough.¡± ¡°Eat a little more.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m full¡­¡± With an awkward smile, she picked up the book she had put aside. ¡°I-I¡¯ll get up. I¡¯m a little t-tired.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t finished yet.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m telling you, I a-ate a lot¡± Riftan looked at her and nodded with a sigh, so Max slowly walked out of the kitchen. After the winter he probably had to leave for an expedition again and this thought broke her heart, she would have to wait for him alone in the castle again. Max nervously bit her lips. If she could perform a powerful magic, would have Riftan decided to take her with him? After a moment of hopeful thoughts, Max shook her head, recalling his stubborn attitude. In reality, she didn¡¯t even know if she had the courage to ask him such a thing. She gave a long sigh as she swept her messy hair with her hands. *** The severe cold wave was now gone and spring was slowly approaching Anatol. At that time, Max began to learn new defensive magic and patiently tried to correct her stammering habit. At first she noticed some little progress, in fact, as a result of her persistent practice with a calm attitude, she became able to read a verse without stuttering. Of course, they were not verses from difficult ancient poems as those she learned when she was young, but from poems with easy and simple sentences that wandering minstrels enjoyed singing. However, she shed tears of joy when she seeded in saying her first perfect sentence. As Ruth said, it was helpful to rx and practice speaking slowly. It was still hard to say words with a difficult pronunciation or long phrases, but the stutters improved little by little, probably thanks to the fact that she consciously tried to talk a lot. Max had also begun to read aloud sentences that Ruth had made in his spare time and started exercising to loosen her stiff tongue which started to feel sore as if she had been biting a needle for a long time, maybe because she was using muscles she didn¡¯t usually use, nevertheless she practiced every morning without skipping it. If it could fix her stammering, she would have done it even if she had to keep a knife in her mouth. One the other hand, Max became too slow in speaking as she tried to do it urately. Ruth said it would get better over time, but Max was still conscious of it, thinking that someone could feel frustrated with the way she talked. ¡°On the second floor¡­ u-underneath the terrace¡­ I want to make a flower garden¡­ How long will it take?¡± Max, who was reading thendscape n carefully, looked up and observed Aderon¡¯s expression on the opposite side. The merchant answered in a polite manner, showing howpetent he was. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to get so many seedlings right now. Why don¡¯t you nt small shrubs first? If it¡¯s a seedling of azaleas, you can easily get it from us. Beautiful red flowers will bloom.¡± ¡°B-but¡­ I want to fill the flower bed, too¡­.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a modification, we can get it right away. I¡¯ll tell the servants who manage the garden.¡± Rodrigo, who was following them, helped her with a few words. Max tried to draw a picture in her head: if sheid quality soil in the deste garden, nted grasses and shrubs and decorated them with various flowers andndscapes, it would be unrecognizable. But Max couldn¡¯t help but think about the costs. More servants had to be hired to manage the garden, and nting flowers and trees costed a lot of money. She put the n down on the table, thinking it would have been better for Ruth to examine it one more time before signing the order. ¡°I¡¯ll have to think a little more¡­¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try to get as many species of flowers as I can in the meantime.¡± ¡°Please¡­ do.¡± Max smiled and got up from her seat. As the day began to unravel little by little, the market in Anatol started opening again and merchants began to visit. ording to the knights, there was a den of Banryong beyond the northern part of the Anatol Mountain and mercenaries flock in time for them to wake up from their lethargy. The dragon¡¯s subspecies was very dangerous, but their scales, mana stones and bones were expensive, being very useful as ingredients for elemental weapons. Mercenaries, who naturally tried to find things to be sold for a fortune, and merchants, who wanted to buy the mana stones and bones they would bring back, began to visit Anatol. In the full-fledged water season, more people would definitelye. I¡¯d like to finish all thendscaping before then¡­ In spring, a banquet would be held and there would be asions where wandering musicians and theater troupes would be invited. She wanted to prevent them from spreading rumors that Lord Calypse¡¯s castle, who had gained great fame across the continent, was gloomy. Above all, Max was worried that Riftan would be looked down by the aristocrats, so she was determined to decorate the garden as nicely as possible since it was an important ce that gave visitors a first impression of the castle. ¡°Madam, here you are.¡± Thinking about what kind of trees and flowers would be good as she was walking down the stairs, a maid called her. Max looked up with a curious face and the old maid spoke in a polite tone. ¡°My Lady, Lord Riftan asked you toe to his office.¡± ¡°Any¡­ any problem?¡± ¡°Lord Riftan didn¡¯t tell me the exact reason, My Lady.¡± It was rare for Riftan to be in the office in broad daylight, but it was even rarer for him to call her in this way. Max hurried up the stairs wondering what was going on. Riftan¡¯s office was located on the upper floor of the library, opposite stairs. She walked quickly on a dark brown carpet and stood at the wide mahogany door, waiting until the maid who followed her knocked on the door to let him know of her arrival. ¡°Come on in.¡± When his loud voice rang out from over the door, the maid pulled the handle with a careful touch. Max stepped cautiously into a spacious room with a fluffy carpet and then she heard a loud p of wings from somewhere. She looked around the room surrounded by bright light with curious eyes. Next to arge window in front of her, a cage was ced in a spot higher than where she could reach with her head. Inside of it white and small pigeons were sitting tightly and peeping, while on the left side of the room there were shields and swords so huge that made her wonder if people could actually lift them. ¡°Come on in. Why are you not sitting down?¡± As she was standing absently by the door and looking around the office, Riftan, who was sitting in front of the desk and writing down something, rushed her. Max walked slowly towards him and looked at his sharp face. His ck hair was messy, as if it was swept away roughly several times or he had been hit by the wind, and his muscr forearms under his rolled-up sleeves were in tension. Mack blushed with anxiety. ¡°W-What¡¯s the matter¡­ Did something happen?¡± ¡°I got a telegram from the pce of Drakium. I think I should tell you in advance.¡± ¡°Drakium?¡±
Note ¨C Well that was a way to describe how charming Riftan is, a devil in the bible?! Lmao. Also I apologize if you feel this chapter was a bit off, for some reason I found it particrly difficult to proofread ?? Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Trantor ¨C LL Proofreader ¨C Nymeria Riftan suddenly took a deep breath and sighed. ¡°There will be guests from the pce in a few weeks, they¡¯ll be about twenty to thirty people. I¡¯d like to have the best room avable for them to stay, and a small wee.¡± Max opened her eyes wide at the unexpected announcement. She knew that guests were supposed toe visit in spring, so she was appalled by the news that it was going to happen earlier than expected. ¡°Guests¡­?¡± ¡°It is King Ruben¡¯s Inspection Team. The Knights of The Crown.¡± Riftan blurted out thest words and nced at her face. For a moment, his sensuous lips were subtly twisted because ofplex thoughts, but then he immediately returned to his emotionless face and casually added: ¡°Princess Agnes ising.¡± Max stared nkly at Riftan¡¯s face, without even breathing. Ady who once had a marriage talk with him ising, but Max couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of reaction she was supposed to have. When she didn¡¯t answer, Riftan added in a nervous tone. ¡°Of course, they¡¯re justing here to inspect Anatol under royal orders. Agnes is the only member of the royal family who is acquainted with me and has a friendly rtionship with the Knights of Remdragon.¡± ¡°Well, I see.¡± Mack swallowed, her nerves on edge hearing that she was close to him, but they were colleagues of the Dragon Toval, of course they were acquainted! ording to Ruth, everyone had thought that Riftan was going to marry Princess Agnes, so they had to be close enough for such rumors to spread. Her stomach twisted painfully, still she smiled nonchntly, fearing that if she had showed a sign of dislike she would have looked like a woman blinded by jealousy in his eyes. ¡°W-We will prepare the best r-rooms and get ready¡­ Do we have a-anything else to do?¡± ¡°¡­just tell the maids to be thoroughly prepared for the guests. You don¡¯t have to do anything more.¡± Riftan, who was staring at her face as if he was looking for something, replied bluntly and lowered his gaze on the table again. It was a strangely cold attitude, but she didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to it and hurriedly got up from her seat before her emotions could show on her face. ¡°T-Then¡­ I¡¯ll tell them right now.¡± ¡°Please.¡± Riftan said without raising his head. Max left the room immediately and quickly went down the stairs while calling Rodrigo. After hearing the news from Riftan, Max¡¯s mind was a mess. She grumbled in confusion over the thought of Princess Agnes visiting Anatol. Is itmon for an aristocratic woman who got refused for marriage to visit the estate of the man who rejected her? What makes the princess want toe to visit Riftan? Perhaps King Ruben had not given up on making Riftan a member of the royal family yet. The inspection could be just an excuse and the Princess might being to change Riftan¡¯s mind. The thought terrorized Max. Just because Riftan wasn¡¯t willing to divorce in that moment, there was no guarantee that he would still not be willing to divorce in the future. What if Princess Agnes tried to persuade him? ¡°Madam, you look pale. Do you feel ufortable?¡± Rodrigo, who saw her face, asked with a worried face. Max quickly shook her head. ¡°I-I think I¡¯m a l-little tired.¡± It wasn¡¯t the right time to zone out. Max hurriedly shook off her anxious thoughts and tried to concentrate on what she had to do: she couldn¡¯t let the castle show a shabby appearance when the guests woulde from the Pce. She looked down at thendscaping n crumpled like a dishcloth in her hand and thought she hadn¡¯t the time to put her head together with Ruth and leisurely review it. ¡°P-Please call Aderon for me. I w-want you to start thendscaping now, c-can you tell him? We need to h-hurry up and decorate the e-entrance of the Great Hall. I-I hope that the trees we nted few days ago started to grow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get in touch with him right away, Madam.¡± ¡°T-The guests will be staying a-at the colorful tapestries room with a-a luxurious bedding, I¡¯d like to have that ready. P-Please inform the maids that every inch of the castle has t-to be clean and I¡¯d like you to serve the guests with r-respect.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Nothing more than the instructions she had already given came to Max¡¯s mind, so she tapped her lips and sighed. ¡°I-If there¡¯s a problem¡­ let me know.¡± Max returned to her room after informing the servants and mechanically opened the magic book, but none of the letters caught her attention. For a moment she nervously turned the pages, then she bit her fine lips. She hadn¡¯t any sign of being pregnant yet, so if Riftan changed his mind their marriage was still as easy to tear as a parchment. Her anxiety doubled when her awkward attitude came to her mind. He said he couldn¡¯t easily give up on his marriage vows, but how strong was his determination? Wouldn¡¯t it be shaken if a beautiful woman seduced him? Maybe Princess Agnes is justing for an inspection, like he said. Max desperately tried to drive out her growing cloud of anxiety. Riftan was an upright and adamant man, his will wasn¡¯t as easy to bend as a reed. Let¡¯s stop imagining bad things. He was a knight who followed King Ruben, there would be asional encounters with the Royal Family, she couldn¡¯t be so intimidated and anxious every time. She struggled with her unstable mind. *** As Max began to prepare for the guests at a fast pace, she couldn¡¯t let herself worry over anything: she supervised the task carefully, gathered merchants to select the decorations for the rooms and gardens and kept studying magic too. Since she hadn¡¯t time to decorate all the wide garden right away, she started to nt shrubs and put statues everywhere. Fortunately, the frozen ground had begun to melt smoothly a few days before, so it didn¡¯t take as much time as she thought. Workers were tasked to dug deep the ground with shovels and to nt trees at regr intervals, while servants nted seedlings in flower beds and sprinkled flower seeds everywhere. Although it was a little early, mixing the soil had helped in softening it, so when the weather would get warmer they were meant to quickly take root and sprout. Max wanted the lifeless garden to be revived before the guests arrived. ¡°The Royal g and the knights¡­ T-they will stay in the Annex. The P-princess and her attendants a-are staying in the Great Hall. Everyone s-should pay special attention s-so that there will be no i-inconvenience.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± ¡°All the u-utensils should be made of s-silver and gold. E-expensive wines are already prepared¡­ if more food is needed, p-please don¡¯t hesitate to a-arrange it.¡± ¡°We will keep that in mind, My Lady.¡± Max gave meticulous instructions to the servants and went around the castle several times a day to see if they were ready to greet the guests, but it wasn¡¯t just her. The maids opened the wide shutters and wiped the foggy sses, spent all day scooping up water from the well to wash the rugs and ripped off the curtains on the windows to wash them clean, while the servants cleaned the soot from their faces, settled the firece with piles of ashes, took out the brazier and washed away the scorched marks. Max was busy supervising all the work and filling out orders every day, but she didn¡¯t mean toin, others were several times busier than she was. Ruth seemed to stay up almost every night since he had to deal with everything on his own, busy as he was making harnesses, and Riftan and the knights worked from dawn tote night on the road construction n that would begin in spring. Building a wide road connecting the port and the Anatol was a great construction n that involved a huge amount of manpower. Riftan stared at the map all day discussing the safest and fastest route with the knights and paid full attention on securing the manpower and structure materials needed for the construction. As a result, the number of nights that Max and Riftan could be together decreased. It was not until the dark night that Riftan returned to his room, but Max was exhausted from walking around in every corner of the castle since early in the morning, so she always fell asleep in the evening. There was even a time when he came backte at night, slept like a shrimp, and left early in the morning, so she couldn¡¯t even see his face the whole day. Max became increasingly discontented with such habit, she wanted to get a warm and soft kiss from Riftan, to lie on his solid and wide chest, rub his face like a cat and feel his big hands touch her hair. She thought it would have been better if the season of winter didn¡¯t end, missing the days when they were stuck together in the dark and cold castle. As such loneliness umted, her anxiety, which she had worked hard to put aside, gradually shook her. Maybe he¡¯s tired of me. His passion for me may have cooled down, so he¡¯s now showing a lukewarm attitude, Max thought. When Max was lying in the bed waiting for Riftan, she thought about this and went crazy. At least the busy daytime was better since she couldn¡¯t think of anything, but when she was gripping the cold side of the wide bed all kinds of negative thoughts came and bothered her. She felt like she was drying up with the desire to see her husband¡¯s smiling face, to ride a horse out of the castle and spend time alone with him. On a sunny afternoon, when spring was in full swing, Max, who was overseeing thendscaping of the garden, stiffened her body when she heard that knights with royal seals had passed through Anatol¡¯s gates. The garden was growing from its previous wild appearance thanks to shrubbery nted here and there, but it still wasn¡¯t to the point of being satisfying. Max hurried to go prepare herself to wee the guests, thinking it would be inappropriate to wee the Royal Inspection Team with a dull appearance. She urgently called in the maids and ordered them to clean up the entrance to the Great Hall as neatly as possible and went into the room to check her clothes. She was wearing a colorful and nice dress, but she thought she wascking somehow, so she opened a jewelry box, wore a brooch that she didn¡¯t usually wear and dressed up with a ne and a ring, then asked Rudis to fix her hair again. She didn¡¯t want to show a shabby appearance to the woman who had a marriage talk with her husband. Rudis, who had realized her thoughts, worked several times harder than usual to braid it up and cover it with silk and jewelry. After a while, a long sound of copper was heard from afar, announcing the arrival of the guests.
Note ¨C Guys do you sleep like a shrimp too? Idk why this expression made meugh so hard, I imagined a big man like Riftan sleeping in shrimp version~ Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Trantor ¨C LL Proofreader ¨C Nymeria Max walked down the stairs with her maids with a colorful shawl on her shoulder. Her heart was beating heavily and her back was sweaty. The first guests who would meet her as the hostess of Calypse Castle arrived. However, the fact that the first guest was Princess Agnes increased her tension several times. What kind of person would she be? Was she as cold and arrogant as Rosetta? Was she the kind of person who would look down on her, saying she is worth nothing? She rubbed her wet palms on the skirt and waited for the guests to appear in front of the door wide opened. Suddenly, people¡¯s voices were heard from afar and people dressed in colorful costumes began to walk up towards the entrance. Max was able to find Princess Agnes in a heartbeat: she led two young women who appeared to be her maids, five or six men who appeared to be her attendants and many knights in silver armor, all stately walking toward the entrance of the Great Hall. Near to them there was a line of Remdragon knights and, next to the Royal Princess, Riftan stood as if he were protecting her. Max watched the scene, astonished to the point of forgetting to bend down and bow. The appearance of Princess Agnes was truly unconventional. She was wearing long boots on pants that men would wear and a long cape on a knee-length purple tunic. Her long blonde hair shined without the need of anymon essory and she approached her cheerfully with a light smile on her golden face, which looked particrly good in the sun. Max was embarrassed to face such a simple yet energetic woman, very different from what she expected. Her clear blue eyes seemed to radiate brilliance, as jewels would do. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Agnes Drakina Ruben.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor¡­ to meet you, Your Grace. I am Maximillian¡­ Calypse.¡± Although she was a little tense, she was able to greet her calmly as she had been secretly practicing. ¡°Please feelfortable¡­ while you are here.¡± She stood behind the sun as she bent slightly unfolding her skirt and the maids followed her politely. Princess Agnes gave a cheerful and dignified smile. ¡°You must have been abashed by the sudden visit, but thank you for weing me.¡± Riftan took a step forward as if he were shielding the Royal Princess, his face looked more solemn and dignified than usual since he stood facing the sun and his dark blue tunic and silver-gray eyes, which were almost navy, seemed to stand out more than ever. ¡°I¡¯ll guide the knights. Please show your Royal Highness to the guest room.¡± ¡°I¡­ got it.¡± Max looked up, expecting him to lightly kiss her forehead or even her cheek. However, Riftan just stared at her for a moment and then turned to the royal knights. ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll show you a room where you can rest.¡± Then he began to walk ahead to the back door toward the annex. As the guards followed him, the servants standing by started one by one to serve the guests. Max hid her disappointment and instructed the maids to show the attendants to their respective rooms and they hurriedly began to move their luggage. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared the guest room¡­ on the second floor of the Great Hall. The attendants¡­ are also on the same floor¡­ will that be alright, Your Grace? ¡°Of course. Thank you for your concern.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll show you your room.¡± Max turned around and walked up to the stairs on the red carpet. The princess walked next to her and looked around the castle with an interested look. ¡°I heard it¡¯s a castle older than the Drakium Pce, but it¡¯s well-managed.¡± ¡°T-Thank you.¡± Although she did not intend to do so, Max was showing an overly polite attitude because she felt overwhelmed by the natural dignity of the Princess: even though she was dressed like a boy, her royal authority overflowed. She watched as Agnes took a couple of steps in the wide hall, looking around without showing any signs of displeasure. The royal princess was tall, which was rare for a woman: she looked like around 5 kvet and 2 henge tall (approximately 174 centimeters) and her limbs were long and slender as those of a deer. Moreover, her face was a little far from the ssic beauty that Max imagined in her head. Her lips were thick enough to look a little too big for her face and the almond-shaped elongated eyes were slightly raised upward, giving off a cat-like impression. Her face was pointed and thin like an arrowhead and the nose was high and straight. The word handsome was more appropriate than the word beautiful. Overall, Princess Agnes gave off a provocative and intense charm that was different from Rosetta¡¯s delicate and perfect beauty. ¡°Being here makes you feel like you¡¯ve fallen into Roem¡¯s fort.¡± Agnes expressed her appreciation of the Great Hall in a calm tone. ¡°I¡¯d like to take a closer look at the castle. Can you show me around?¡± The Princess looked back at Max and narrowed her eyes. Her expression seemed friendly and at first nce easy, but there was a hint of something else in her blue eyes, as if she wanted to find out something. Max unknowingly shrugged his shoulders and nodded. ¡°Of course, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯d like to wash up and change my clothes before that. Where¡¯s the room?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you, Your Grace. This way¡­¡± Rudis, who was standing behind her, came forward and bowed politely. The princess smiled and turned gracefully. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see youter.¡± Max looked at her back as she walked away, feeling a little lost. After their first encounter, it felt like she had already been swept away by the spirit of the Royal Princess. ¡°P-Please prepare a bath¡­ in the guest¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady¡± Max gave strict orders to the remaining maids and then went down to the kitchen to check how the preparations for the wee party were going. The spacious kitchen was crowded with servants preparing food for the guests. She wanted to see if there was a problem, but all she could think about was how well Riftan and Princess Agnes matched, like in a picture. Watching the appearance of a blonde beauty, who gave off a dazzling charm like the sun, and a handsome knight standing side by side, creating together a beautiful and intimidating atmosphere, could make anyone think they had just popped out of a story book. Max thought it was not unreasonable that people wanted them to be together. She nervously bit her lips. Was it true that Riftan felt nothing for her? The princess seemed a little unusual, but she was nevertheless a pretty and charming woman. Wouldn¡¯t she catch men¡¯s eyes? ¡°Madam, I¡¯m about to prepare themb¡­ Are you going to be all right?¡± Suddenly, a servant asked with a worried face. Max hurriedly turned away when she saw a ck bearded man with amb tied to a pole, sharpening a knife outside the wide-open door. She didn¡¯t really want to watch the scene, so she smiled awkwardly and hurried out of the kitchen. On the spacious hall where the sun was pouring, maids were busily running around with their arms full of white linen. The servants¡¯ sleeves were wet as they moved hot water from the sauna to the guests¡¯ rooms and the sound of the firewood rang loudly in the backyard. Even the stable keepers looked busy feeding water and food to the horses that the guests rode. Max meticulously gave them instructions to work in an orderly manner. First, they were asked to bring bath water, soap, and clean towels so that the guests could properly rest, and then provide wine, biscuits, and pickled fruit if anyone wanted to drink or snack. After asking them to closely check if they needed anything else, Max went up to the banquet hall. In the evening, guests had to be served a weing dinner. She called three or four servants and ordered them to spread out two long tables at the banquet hall, then she chose a tablecloth, candlestick and utensils with Rodrigo. Since high-quality tableware made of gold, silver and ss could be stolen, as the hostess she had to figure out the number of everything. Max took an expensive golden candlestick from the warehouse, then carefully recorded the numbers of silver trays, tes, forks, and knives on the journal. After checking it twice, she counted the number of candles, firewood, and alcohol and food for the banquet. Alcohol and food couldn¡¯t possibly be scarce at dinner, however, they also didn¡¯t have to overdo it as it would have been a waste if the guests didn¡¯t eat it all, in fact they would have to throw it away. ¡°Madam.¡± In the midst of recording the amount of alcohol in the journal, Rudis approached her cautiously and Max looked at her with a curious look. ¡°What¡­ what happened?¡± ¡°The royal princess asks if we can show her the castle now. What shall we do?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll take care of it¡­¡± Ordinary guests were expected to take a rest right after arriving at the castle, however Princess Agnes seemed to be full of energy after a long journey from the northern end of Whedon to the southern end. Max hurriedly finished the remaining records and handed them over to Rodrigo. When she came out of the banquet hall, she could see the royal Princess, who had changed into a deep blue dress, walking out of the hallway. Max glided in front of her. ¡°Thank you for preparing a nice room. The tapestry on the wall is wonderful.¡± ¡°O-Of course, Your Grace.¡± Princess Agnes smiled as Max replied in a passive manner. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so formal. You can call me Agnes and I¡¯d like to call you by your name too, would that be okay?¡± Max stared nkly at her as she was speaking, then nodded mechanically. The Princess smiled, satisfied, then pulled her arm. ¡°I want to look outside the Great Hall. Can you show me around?¡± Then the Princess started to go down the stairs without waiting for her and Max followed behind her like she was caught in a raging typhoon.
Note: Agnes is finally here! I see you guys wanting more of Riftan and Maxi, but you just need to wait a little more, trust me c: Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Trantor ¨C LL Proofreader ¨C Nymeria Max couldn¡¯t help but be embarrassed by her friendly behavior. She never thought that the princess would show a favorable attitude toward her, so she was utterly confused. The princess wanted to marry Riftan, didn¡¯t she? ¡°Is Riftan in the annex with the knights?¡± Princess Agnes asked as she went out of the hall. The name of her husband flowed out so naturally from the princess¡¯ mouth that it made Max show a gloomy face. ¡°H-He might be, Your Grace.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask you to show me around the training centerter. I want to look around the castle first, can we go up?¡± Max hesitated for a moment, then nodded and guided her to a small, cobbled path surrounded by trees. As they walked along the narrow path for some time, the guards patrolling the outer walls appeared ahead. As soon as the soldiers spotted the princess and Max, they immediately bowed to greet them. Max exined to them that she was guiding her royal highness around the castle and then they went up the stairs, climbing the wall. Although the days were getting warmer, it was still early spring, in fact Max flinched as the cold wind blew from the mountains. When they finally reached the top, she saw the long skirt of the royal princess fluttering like a g as she was standing in front of the choir. Agnes stretched out her arms letting the wind blow over her body, enjoying the refreshed feeling. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful ce.¡± Max followed the royal princess and looked over the wall. The wind was blowing violently over the pointed peaks and steep hillsides, where snow had not yet melted. The princess fixed her eyes on the distant mountain and swept away her fluttering hair. ¡°Since this ce has many monsters, I expected and covered in blood as the entrance to the demon world.¡± The princess calmly walked along the wall and turned to Max. ¡°But the town was bigger than I expected, and It seems that the market is developing too¡­ To be honest, I was surprised¡±. ¡°In spring¡­ we expect a lot more merchants toe¡±. Max mumbled, trying to remember what she had heard from Rodrigo. The princess stroked her chin with a thoughtful expression and sighed. ¡°So that¡¯s why Riftan is attached to this ce. It must have taken a tremendous amount of effort to enrich thisnd that has been neglected for decades.¡± Max felt her stomach clench. The princess herself spoke as if she knew and understood Riftan well and this made her want to yell at the princess not to pretend to know her husband, but she just bit her lips holding back the urge, surprised by the sudden and violent surge of emotions flowing from her. Her earlobes reddened. ¡°Ri-Riftan is working from d-dawn untilte at night w-without a break¡­ for Anatol.¡± ¡°Riftan was like this during the expedition too. No one has ever seen him take a break. He showed no hesitation or weakness. That¡¯s why everyone called him Mahgo, out of amazement and fear.¡± ¡°Mah¡­ go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a legendary monster who is said to never sleep or get tired and to have hundred lives.¡± A bitter smile spread across her lips. ¡°It¡¯s a nickname given to him by the holy knights of Osiria, because he continued to act as if he had a hundred lives.¡± Even though Max heard about Riftan¡¯s recklessness from Ruth, her chest still tightened sharply. She quickly shrugged her shoulders to shake off the feeling and the princess, who had been watching her with a calm gaze, slowly spoke. ¡°I was wondering what Mahgo¡¯s wife would be like. Who was the person he was so desperate to get back to, to the point where he would throw himself into the dragon fire without hesitation?¡± Speechless, Max dampened her dry lips. Even though the princess wasn¡¯t criticizing her, Max felt like she was being med. Max knew well that she didn¡¯t deserve to be the wife of such a brave knight and there was no way Agnes could not have noticed that. Seeing her shabby reflection in those beautiful blue eyes, it only grew more painful, so she turned away from her, even though she thought it was rude. ¡°T-The wind is cold, Your Grace¡­ Let¡¯s go back inside the castle¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Of course¡­¡± Beforeing down the stairs, Princess Agnes looked over the view of Anatol once more. Max looked up at her and walked ahead, as if she were running away. She felt anxious and confused, as if a strong cold wind had begun to blow in her heart. *** As the sun began to set, servants climbed up thedder and lit candles on the chandelier, while the maids ced braziers filled with red charcoal throughout the banquet hall and prepared appetizing food to put on the wide table. Max sat there, alongside Riftan. The royal princess and her attendants sat directly at the opposite side of the table, and the knights filled the rest. When the servants poured fragrant wine in their sses, Riftan lifted his golden ss and spoke. ¡°Wee to the guests who havee a long way.¡± The people sitting around the table raised their sses in unison. The royal princess, sitting across from him, also smiled gracefully, raising high her ss filled with fluttering wine. ¡°Thank you for weing me.¡± ¡°It must have been a tiring journey, you must be hungry. Go ahead and eat.¡± When an old knight shouted loudly, the princess smiled and raised the ss to her mouth. Taking that as a signal, everyone took their knife and fork and began to eat and drink. Max mechanically put the bread in her mouth and scanned the people on the long table. The royal knights were joking with the Remdragon Knights and their acquaintances, while the royal princess was exchanging stories with the knights too. Max was surprised by the princess¡¯s behavior: she didn¡¯t seem to care about the etiquette ady should follow. Right in that moment, Princess Agnesughed out loud and hit the shoulder of the gentleman sitting next to her, her voice booming and attracting everyone¡¯s attention, but she wasn¡¯t showing any signs of intimidation even among men who were muchrger than her, and surprisingly the knights were delighted by her unrefined demeanor. ¡°I want to look around Anatol tomorrow. Can you show me around?¡± The royal princess, who was talking to the knight sitting next to her, suddenly looked at Riftan with dazzling eyes. He wet his mouth with wine and answered heartlessly. ¡°Uslin will guide you.¡± ¡°Hey, brusque lord, don¡¯t even try to treat me so lightly. I traveled to the ends of the earth to see you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never asked you to do it.¡± The knights frowned at his rude reply and Max stared at the princess¡¯s expression with a nervous look. No matter how famous the knight was in the whole continent, it couldn¡¯t be tolerated to be so rude to the royal family. However, instead of getting angry and yelling at him, Agnes burst intoughter as if she had heard an interesting story. ¡°Your personality is still the same.¡± Then the princess smiled strangely and turned to Max. ¡°Then, will Lady Calypse guide me through the estate?¡± Riftan, who was cutting a thick piece ofmb with his knife, stopped and looked at the princess. Max felt ufortable when the topic of the conversation was suddenly redirected to her and blinked nkly. Regardless of the reaction her words had caused, Princess Agnes continued softly. ¡°I want to get to know you better.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± Riftan put down his knife loudly so that everyone could hear a crackling sound and spit out a chillingly soft voice. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind getting up early in the morning, I¡¯ll show you around.¡± ¡°Oh my God, I didn¡¯t think I would receive such special treatment from the Lord himself. ¡° The princess replied sarcastically despite Riftan¡¯s cold demeanor, showing any signs of intimidation. The scene seemed like a quarrel between a loving couple, so Max¡¯s face hardened. Just imagining Riftan and the princess have a cozy tour of the estate made her jealousy grow and she opened her mouth impulsively. ¡°I-I¡¯ll show you around, Your Grace.¡± Riftan turned his head towards her in surprise and she did her best to sound calm. ¡°Riftan¡­ y-you¡¯re busy, so may I s-show her around¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about, you yourself came here onlyst fall.¡± Riftan¡¯s direct reply made her cheeks redden. ¡°W-Well, I¡¯ve been to the market¡­ and outside t-the city with Ruth¡­¡± ¡°Outside¡­?¡± Riftan interrupted her with a surprised tone. Max looked up and saw a dangerous glint in his eyes. Come to think of it, she had never told him that she had gone down to the area affected by the monster attack while he was away from the castle. Max carefully examined the faces of the knights sitting around the table. Sir Karon, who was sitting at the end, shook his head fiercely, as telling her not to talk about it. She swallowed dry saliva. She had only done natural things as the wife of the Lord, but Riftan might not see it that way. Max hurriedly changed the topic of the conversation, recalling his anger for not telling him in advance that she was learning magic. ¡°W-well, what I want to say is¡­ I-I know Anatol well enough, so I can s-show her highness a-around¡­¡± ¡°Stop it. I can¡¯t let you wander outside the castle defenselessly.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, I¡¯m good¡±. Princess Agnes skillfully intervened in the conversation and Riftan looked at her annoyed. ¡°Your Highness is capable of protecting herself, but my wife is different. She¡¯s never been outside of Croix Castle in her entire life!¡± ¡°H-hey, if it¡¯s o-only within the territory, I-I can do it too!¡± Max red at him in a fit of rage. Her pride was deeply hurt because he was openly treating her as an ipetent child in front of the royal princess. She could feel her cheeks burning, but she continued to protest fiercely. ¡°A-and I didn¡¯t spend m-my whole life at Croix Castle. T-there was the trip from the Duchy t-to Anatol.¡± ¡°Lord, what are you worried about when the guards are escorting them?¡± Hebaron crept out to take her side. ¡°If you are still worried, I will apany them.¡± Riftan¡¯s face grew increasingly grim and Max¡¯s heart sank at his expression, afraid he would yell at her, but she didn¡¯t want to back down. Indeed, she wanted to prevent the two of them from being alone together at any cost. ¡°Riftan¡­ You didn¡¯t even have enough time to sleep because you¡¯ve been busy¡­ Leave it to me¡­ Let me attend to my guests...¡± Riftan¡¯s face was slightly confused by her rare stubbornness but after a long silence, not without hesitation, he eventually raised the white g. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Note ¨C That¡¯s it, it¡¯s time to found a fanclub for Sir Karon and Sir Hebaron, apply in thements! Agnes is still a bit difficult to decipher for you guys, right? Also, Riftan¡¯s behavior will have a clear exnation this week, so everyone stay tuned! Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Trantor ¨C LN Note: Uslin was in the beginning called Rikaido, then it was switched to Ricardo. We¡¯re now going back to call him Sir Uslin Rikaido, since we feel it¡¯s more urate. Riftan red at Agnes, who was smiling in triumph. ¡°You¡¯re fine with that?¡± he said. ¡°What can I say when I¡¯m just a guest? I¡¯m thankful you¡¯re letting your wife apany me.¡± The princess ced one hand on her chest, mocking a salute. At that moment Max blushed, wishing she could be half as confident as her, and felt sorry for Agnes since it was because of her weakness that Riftan feltpelled to send a guard to apany them. However, at the same time she was ted that she had obtained his permission to leave the castle. Riftan looked at the royal princess without smiling. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed a bit.¡± His tone was t and unweing, yet Max could feel her heart stop. It seemed that Agnes was used to his rudeness, otherwise how could Riftan dare address the princess like that? There seemed to be an invisible bond between them that had developed over their adventures together. Max looked down, feeling the tension. The mood subsided quickly, but she could not shake off how casual Riftan had talked to Agnes, without titles or honorifics. She was an ally who had fought in battle with him. The Remdragon Knights, Ruth, and the princess: all of them had earned Riftan¡¯s trust. And yet, his wife had done nothing. What had she done to deserve any affection and trust from him? As her face darkened with these thoughts, Riftan frowned and grazed the strands of her hair with his fingertips. ¡°You can do whatever you like. Don¡¯t be upset now.¡± Max smiled weakly, trying to hide the jealousy dwelling inside her. Riftan gave a small smile in relief and then took a sip of wine. Since his expression was soft, she suddenly felt the urge to crawl onto his knees to kiss him. She wanted to touch his beautiful, masculine face, bury her face in his wide chest, and breath in his scent forever. Why did she have to desire him like this? If anyone found out what she was thinking¡­ Max covered her face with her ss, pretending to be thirsty. These emotions were so new to her and she felt lonely, like a lost child in a foreign ce. *** Max only remembered taking a sip to get rid of the uneasy feelings she had, but when she woke up, she found herself in bed. She blinked confusedly in the dark. Riftan was next to her, removing the essories from her hair and untying the straps of her loosened dress. ¡°F*cking torture¡± he grunted and stripped off the remainder of Max¡¯s dress. She frowned, looking at him from underneath her eyshes, and he saw her lying there, defenseless in her thin, see-through chemise. ¡°I want you, but I can¡¯t. Not when you¡¯re like this. Do you know how difficult you¡¯re making things for me?¡± Max wanted to say that he didn¡¯t have to hold back, but no words came from her mouth. She didn¡¯t deserve his concern since she had been distracted and had drunk excessively, so his self-restraint only made her more ashamed and self-conscious. She wanted him to have her if he sincerely wished it, to see her as someone elegant and not poor or shabby. She wanted him to be hard for her. Only in his arms could she forget her anxiety and loneliness. Riftan sat on the bed and touched her disheveled hair, brushed her cheeks with a burning gaze and then grabbed her fingers before touching her breasts, too severely tempted to resist any longer. Max gave a sharp intake of breath and pushed her chest out, wanting his hands to touch her more. Riftan breathed heavily before their mouths met, his moist tongue tasted like wine on Max¡¯s lips. Her ears were beet red from the pleasure and she blinked under her heavy eyelids, waiting for him to roll up her chemise and induce heat between her legs. Riftan¡¯srge hands seemed to be burning a hole on her torso, fingers flickering around, as if longing to caress her entire body. But it didn¡¯t go any further. Riftan slowly moved away and sighed, the bed shifted as he rose. Feeling disappointed, Max soon fell asleep again. *** Max opened her eyes when she felt something dry and scratchy tickle her cheek: Roy, the ck kitten, had begun to lick the bridge of her nose. She rubbed her face and rose from the bed. Riftan had already disappeared earlier, as if he had never even been therest night. Max washed her face and called for her maid, Rudis. Fortunately, her head wasn¡¯t split with pain from a hangover likest time. ¡°Mydy, the Princess Agnes went out early this morning to view the training grounds. She asked you to join her when you awoke. What should I tell her?¡± Rudis said. She imagined the long journey from the royal pce to Anatol. Despite the travel, Princess Agnes was already up and about before her, unfatigued and ready to view the town. Max snapped her eyes shut for a moment, before quickly pulling a cape over her shoulders. ¡°P-please help me prepare to go o-out with her highness. We will go b-by carriage to see the town. B-but I don¡¯t know t-the city that well¡­ I¡¯ll need a m-maid.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Max was relieved that Rudis didn¡¯t need further instructions, she didn¡¯t even know the directions from the castle to the market square. ¡°G-good. Then tell P-Princess Agnes that we will d-depart soon.¡± *** Max walked quickly through the Great Hall towards the training grounds. Agnes didn¡¯t seem like a bad person, but she was still ufortable with her. It wasn¡¯t just because of the previous rumors about Riftan marrying her: Max still didn¡¯t know why the princess hade to Anatol in the first ce, so she had to be alert. Agnes was a prestigious wizard. Had she reallye from the north to Anatol to simply see a temple? I know that even if she has an ulterior movie¡­ I don¡¯t have the means to stop her, but¡­ When Max saw the training field within sight, she tried her best to keep her depressing thoughts at bay. The weather was sunnier than yesterday, the wind was chilly, the air was hot and the ground was turning green from early spring. As the clouds shiftedzily in the blue sky, Max stepped past the gates into the training field and caught Agnes¡¯ distinct ent among the other shouts reverberating in the air. The princess was wearing a knight¡¯s uniform, Max was half-impressed and half-scandalized by the princess¡¯s audacity. She was not only wearing pants like a male again that day, but had also added silver armor and wielded a sword. She moved nimbly, like a dancer, as she sparred and attacked her opponent, listening to the instructions that were yelled at her. ¡°Your lower body is open. Lower your posture to defend yourself!¡± the voice echoed sharply over the field. Max turned mechanically only to see that it was Uslin instructing the princess. After Riftan had punched him, Max had not seen the knight, except from a distance. Sir Rikaido was still on the stairs, bellowing encouragement. The princess sat on the floor to rest. ¡°Really! I thought I trained well, but I couldn¡¯t evennd a single attack!¡± Agnes grumbled. At herint, Uslin smiled and sheathed his sword, letting the scabbard dangle on his waistbelt. ¡°If I had a hard time training with a wizard, I would be expelled from the knights.¡± The voiceing from the gentleman who always looked at Max disapprovingly was an incredibly soft and gentle. ¡°But your skills are much better than before.¡± The princess stood up, muttering with a grumpy face. ¡°You say that, but you don¡¯t even have a drop of sweat.¡± Max hesitated before descending the stairs to join them. The princess took a towel from a servant and wiped her face. When she saw Max, she smiled kindly. ¡°Good morning, Maximilian.¡± ¡°G-good morning. Was y-your room cfortable?¡± ¡°I slept well, thank you.¡± Agnes frowned slightly at Max. ¡°Please speak with mefortably. No need for formalities.¡± ¡°Y-your royal h-highness¡­.to speak w-without honorifics¡­ I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Maximilian is a cautious person¡± she observed nodding. ¡°Then, at least call me Agnes. I would like that. It keeps me from getting a swelled head since I won¡¯t be constantly reminded that I¡¯m royalty.¡± The princess was such a very confident person that Max couldn¡¯t look at her intense blue eyes directly, so she lowered her gaze with negative emotions swelling in her heart. ¡°I u-understand, Ms. Agnes.¡± ¡°Good! Now, I still want to see the town. Are you ready to leave?¡± ¡°Y-yes. I gave instructions t-to prepare the c-carriage.¡± ¡°It may be easier to ride by horse¡±, Agnes said. ¡°T-there will be one maid¡­ w-with us.¡± The princess knitted her eyebrows before shrugging. ¡°Well, let¡¯s try it your way¡± she said amiably. Uslin, who was standing behind the princess in silent, looked briefly at Max, slightly shook his head and then turned to follow the princess. Avish carriage pulled by two thoroughbred horses stood at the front gates. Max climbed into the carriage and sat beside Rudis. When the princess was ready, she came with a guardsman and sat opposite to them, while the two escorts, Hebaron and Uslin, nked the carriage on their horses. When all the preparations werepleted, the coachman raised the whip and the carriage started to move out of the castle grounds. Note ¨C LN: In addition to Under the Oak Tree, I am now tranting ????? ??? ??? ?? / The Way to Protect the Female Lead¡¯s Older Brother. Please read! One sentence summary: a woman wakes up in a R18 novel and must save the prince from her psycho family. Nymeria: Ugh Uslin can you just¡­ stop? Also, I miss Ruth T.T Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Trantor ¨C LN Proofreader ¨C Nymeria Max opened the carriage window and looked outside the castle. White birch trees were lined neatly along the road with warm sunlight filtering around the tree leaves. Agnes smiled serenely while the birds were twittering. ¡°I¡¯m d the weather is good. Yesterday I was worried because the rain clouds were moving closer, it seems they drifted west instead.¡± She pushed her head out of the window, breathed in deeply, and then looked at Max. ¡°Where are we heading first?¡± ¡°F-first we¡¯ll go to the s-square.¡± The Town Square was the busiest ce in town, close to the market, with shopkeepers littering the streets with merchandise. Agnes smiled and nodded in agreement. ¡°When I first came to Anatol, I passed by the square. There were many interesting bars and vendors.¡± ¡°Princess, you don¡¯t expect to be in a bar again this time?¡± her attendant said quietly, in a harsh tone. His clothes were ironed and neat. He coughed and touched his trimmed beard. ¡°The princess adores alcohol, so much that she cannot live without it.¡± he told Max. ¡°Any town she goes to, she has the inclination to stop by a bar.¡± ¡°Ms. Agnes, w-would you like t-to go to the vige b-bar?¡± Max said. Max looked at Agnes with an rmed expression. She had heard that knights sometimes stopped by the bars that localmoners upied, but she had never heard of ady going to a bar. Agnes answered seriously. ¡°Omo, I don¡¯t enjoy alcohol. I go to those kinds of ce to gather information. Many visitors stop by inns and bars. It¡¯s the best ce to hear what the public is thinking.¡± ¡°That sort of information gathering can be left to your guard, the princess just likes alcohol. Thest drinking game you had with your guard¡­ When I think of the princess¡¯s actions, I¡¯m too ashamed to face His Majesty¡±. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything embarrassing¡± Agnes said, annoyed. ¡°I hate missing the fun. I should be able tough, brag about my feats, and enjoy myself with everyone. That¡¯s how I form bonds with my team.¡± She raised her pointy chin proudly. ¡°I believe that trust between all of us will motivate us to ovee all hardships together.¡± ¡°What does drinking an excessive amount of alcohol have to do with trust?¡± her attendant said, before dropping the matter. Agnes pursed her lips, as if she were about to sulk, and then waved her hand dismissively at him. ¡°Ugh, always nagging as usual, Seville. I wasn¡¯t going to bother Lady Calypse anyway with asking to go to a bar.¡± Maxughed nervously, unsure of how to act. The princess lived so roughly, like a knight. Surely, being a magician allowed her to live differently from the average noblewoman. Maybe if Max could perform stronger magic, she could be able to travel like her and go to exciting ces like bars. The world was so vast, and she had hardly seen any of it! It seemed exciting to venture wherever she liked, but would Riftan be okay with giving her so much freedom? Suddenly, the carriage started to shake. ¡°The road is uneven. Please hold on tight¡±, the coachman said opening the front seat window, and everyone in the carriage held onto the door handles. As the coachman warned, the wagon began to move dangerously. From inside, it felt like an earthquake had started. Max sat straighter, feet nted firmly on the ground to keep her from slipping off the seat. The forest path soon ended to show a stream with a fast current and a water mill. The carriage started moving downhill over an arched bridge. Soon, frequently used roads, wooden buildings, and tents emerged over the horizon. Max was impressed, the town was livelier than she expected. On the main road, carts and wagons were being driven by people egging on their donkeys and horses. ¡°I already noticed it yesterday, but the buildings here are quite tall¡±, Agnes said admiringly. It was true. The buildings rose so high that that area could no longer be considered a small town on the continent¡¯s outskirts. The construction of the three-story buildings had finished and the streets were littered with visitors and merchants. ¡°As the Leviathans brought more goods, the stores grew in number.¡± Rudis said softly. ¡°Back then, the mercenary visits brought business not only to the restaurants and hotels here, but to the arms dealers and cksmiths.¡± ¡°I knew that this town was growing in number, but not to this extent¡± Agnes muttered softly. Max became anxious after seeing her thoughtful expression, her reaction was strange. Again, she couldn¡¯t fathom why the princess had visited Anatol at all. She turned away to view the vige scenery. ¡°I heard that Riftan has been at the quarry since the early morning. Are you nning to expand the estate?¡± Agnes asked. ¡°H-he ns to construct a-a road that will c-connect the p-port and the rest of t-thend. At least, that is w-what I heard.¡± The princess opened her eyes wide at her response and became interested in the business. ¡°If you reconstruct the road forrger traffic and reorganize the route to the port, this will be the shortest route to bridge the southern and western continents. Then Anatol will be a metropolitan,mercial city.¡± She didn¡¯t seempletely pleased with these prospects. Max¡¯s heart sunk. Maybe Riftan had been acting outside of the Royal Family¡¯s interests, she didn¡¯t know if he was under surveince. Although their journey had just started, she could feel a drop of cold sweat flowing down her back. As if Agnes noticed that Max was getting ufortable, she quickly changed attitude and talked more good-naturedly. ¡°Of course, the monsters are still an issue. If you don¡¯t get rid of the monster habitats surrounding Anatol, it will not be easy to convince the South Continent to trade along this route.¡± ¡°Lord Calypse¡¯s reputation may be the turning point to convince the Southern Continent¡±, the attendant said. Max looked quietly at him and the princess, who were both upied viewing the crowded buildings and intricate streets filled with horse-driven carriages. Was Agnes right in assuming that Anatol would be a new metropolitan? Although there were many people in the streets, Anatol was still a small estate thatid near the countryside. Between the castle gate and main town, old houses were still being used, with people who kept small orchards or raised sheep, goats, chickens, and geese in fenced areas. Max felt a little disappointed that the peaceful countryside might disappear because of the industrialization. ¡°I want to see the market. Why don¡¯t we start walking around here?¡± Agnes said. Max nodded, opened the front window, and asked to stop the carriage. After a while, the carriage stopped on a secluded road, and the coachman opened the door. ¡°Would you still like to stop here to see the market?¡± the footman asked. Max nodded and stepped out of the carriage, followed by Hebaron and Uslin. ¡°Leave the horses by the carriage. I will escort thedies¡±, Hebaron said. ¡°Why me?¡± Uslin started, but closed his mouth when he saw Max, then took the horses to the side where they could rest without saying anything else. Hebaron threw a coin to the coachman for a repast, organized the guards and led Max and Agnes to the crowded marketce. It was busier than thest time Max hade with Ruth. On both sides of the road, merchants were huddled in thick tents, while mercenaries were trading demon bones and gemstones. Agnes, who viewed the scenefortably, suddenly pointed to a stall at the end of the road. ¡°Should we eat lunch there?¡± she said. The ce had several crudely-made wooden tables, with some worn, old travelers sitting around a keg, eating food and ying card games. To sit and eat there¡­ Max looked at the ce that was too poor to be called a restaurant. A woman who was grilling meat on a fire pit pulled a whole, live chicken on the cutting board, nning to roast it on a spit, and raised her knife high above the rooster¡¯s neck. Max panicked and looked away quickly, but the rooster¡¯s scream continued echoing. Soon enough, the headless rooster was hung upside down on a rope. Max looked back and flinched when she saw it revolving, the woman instead was calm as she put a bowl under the rooster¡¯s neck to collect the blood, and then wiped her hands on her apron. Max covered her mouth in shock and turned back to Agnes. ¡°M-maybe it is too e-early for lunch.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡± Agnes said. ¡°At least eat a little. Look how fresh and delicious the grilled chicken is here.¡± She did not seem offended by the chef¡¯s bloody skills. Max broke out in a sweat, but luckily the attendant interjected. ¡°How do you expect a princess to eat off the market streets?¡± He shook his head, striding past the mock kitchen. ¡°Princess, we did note here to y, but to inspect Anatol under the name of the King. Let¡¯s finish our tour and return to the castle quickly.¡± ¡°Ugh, killjoy¡± Agnes booed, but relented, and passed by the stall. Max sighed in relief before walking after them. The princess took great attention on the market, she investigated the quality and price of goods carefully, and checked thepetency of the shopkeepers. Sometimes, she asked questions about the town to Max. ¡°How do you manage your security here?¡± ¡°The g-guardse about three or f-four times a day to p-patrol the vige. S-sentries stay along the wall. Th-there are also control points t-to enter the area. No one can enter t-the premises without an i-identification card from the t-temple.¡± ¡°What happens when someone disobeys?¡± Agnes said. When Max didn¡¯t know the answer to the princess¡¯ question, she grew silent and confused.
Note: Nymeria: Agnes¡¯ servant exposing her¡­ I¡¯m stanning, ngl. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Trantor ¨C LN Rudis spoke up quietly to Agnes. ¡°Your Highness, if a criminalmits fraud or steals, the generalw to resolve the matter is to pay back the victim ten times the cost of the equipment or lost business. If the criminal cannot pay, he will have to conductbor ordingly.¡± Agnes stroked her chin. ¡°It¡¯s more generous than I expected. In the Capitol, they cut off their wrists right away.¡± She sounded used to violence. ¡°How are murderers condemned?¡± Rudis answered calmly. ¡°If convicted, murderers are exiled or hanged. The verdict is usually influenced by the victim¡¯s family. If no family exists, the decision is based on the priest, who acts on the will of God.¡± Max became more depressed. Even though she was the Lady of thend, it was embarrassing how little she knew about Anatol. ¡°Look at that crowd of women!¡± Agnes suddenly pointed. ¡°What are they staring at in that stall?¡± Max looked up. In a narrow alleyway, more than a dozen vige girls were squabbling. The princess grew excited and grabbed her arm, wanting to get into the pandemonium. ¡°What in God¡¯s name are they arguing about?¡± Agnes said. The vige women were in a catfight to retrieve the best fabrics piled on rows of shelves. Max had no idea about what was happening, she stayed silent like a silly noodle and looked at her maid, Rudis. ¡°T-there. W-what is that?¡± Max asked her, referring to the fabrics. ¡°Mydy, those are essories that are worn around the waist. When the spring festival starts, the vige girls twist these fabrics around their waists, wear flowers in their hair, and sing songs in the fields.¡± ¡°Is this a tradition referring to the nymph who was Uigru¡¯s lover?¡± Agnes said. Rudis nodded and responded courteously to her. ¡°ording to the legend, the nymph had seduced the hero, Uigru, by wrapping a piece of cloth around his waist and bestowing him with a flower gand on his head. For centuries, the maidens in Anatol have dressed to represent the oak spirit in the spring and sing songs in the field. It is a very well-kept tradition.¡± Agnes¡¯ eyes brightened. ¡°Us too.¡± ¡°Y-yes?¡± Max said. ¡°Maximilian, you can¡¯t miss a festival in your own town. Let¡¯s participate in this one together!¡± Ignoring Max¡¯s response, Agnes grabbed her arm again and pulled the two of them among the fighting maidens. Max¡¯s scream died in her throat. Her hair was pulled by the girls shoving each other, shoulder to shoulder, who also mussed her clothes. However, she could not escape since Agnes¡¯ grip on her arm was too strong and she felt like crying. ¡°How about this?¡± Agnes said. The princess was in her element, she pushed women out of the way, got into the middle of the throng and grabbed a purple piece of cloth, then shook it in front of Max¡¯s face, who nodded rmed. She was still struggling in the crowd, her stomach was cramping, and it felt like Agnes was going to tear her arm out of her sleeve. She just wanted to leave, but the princess was not finished yet. Agnes frowned at the piece of cloth she held. ¡°Green or yellow would suit you best, Maximilian, it wouldplement your red hair nicely¡­¡± ¡°W-well, a-anything is fine f-for me.¡± ¡°What do you think? Blue would suit me best, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Agnes said casually. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this match the color of my eyes?¡± ¡°W-well, I-I¡­¡± Max screamed when the crowd pushed her roughly. The vige women were shouting, shoving, and pulling on one another¡¯s hair and dresses. She had never had an experience like this, to be pushed back and forth, while she was in shock. Agnes finally decided on two fabrics she liked and threw three coins to the stall owner. ¡°I¡¯m buying these two!¡± Agnes shouted. ¡°Is this enough?¡± ¡°Oh, of course! Let me get the change.¡± ¡°No change, thank you!¡± Agnes shouted happily and drew back from the crowd. Max retreated with her, touching her tousled hair and loosened dress. Hebaron, who had fallen back to watch, sighed. ¡°Princess, won¡¯t you please avoid these types of situations? What if you were struck badly? Or if someone found out about your identity¡­¡± ¡°Omo, are you worried that those feisty country maidens could hurt me?¡± Agnesughed, still excited about her experience. Hebaron softened his voice and talked paternally. ¡°I spoke wrongly. Those girls were the ones in danger. Your Highness was pushing and aggravating them as if they were harmless reeds¡­¡± Agnes snorted at his sarcasm and turned to Max. She was half-listening and when noticed Agnes¡¯ gaze, flinched. The princess gave her a red cloth with a genuine smile. ¡°This is a thank you gift for guiding me around Anatol. I picked this for you because it reminded me of the color of your hair.¡± ¡°T-thank you.¡± Max hesitated before epting the gift, and Agnes smiled satisfied. Max looked at the fabric she was given, that had a rough texture. She was confused. Why was Agnes being so nice to her? She watched the princess, who was holding a blue piece of cloth around her waist. ¡°Should I tie it around me like this?¡± she asked Rudis. ¡°Yes, tie it this way to keep it from touching the ground.¡± ¡°Maximilian, try your gift on, too¡±, Agnes said. ¡°I-I, to d-dress in public¡­¡± Max unraveled the fabric in her hands and made a nervous expression and Agnes shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Alright, you get a pass today. However, we¡¯re going together to the spring festival for sure!¡± Agnes batted her eyshes and smiled softly, then began to walk quickly through the marketce again. Max folded her gift and went after her slowly. *** The group continued to walk around for an hour and a half before returning to the carriage. During this time, Agnes had purchased on a whim five gemstones, dragon scales, Wyvern monster leather and a variety of medicinal herbs. Her enthusiasm over the herbs reminded Max of Ruth bargaining in the marketce. Were all wizards obsessed with rare herbs and magical items? ¡°I can see why merchants take the risk to travel to Anatol.¡± Agnes said. ¡°There are many rare herbs here, and the gemstones areparably cheaper than in the rest of the kingdom.¡± ¡°ording to our wizard, there are a lot of rare herbs in the Anatorium Mountains¡± Hebaron said. ¡°Because of the monsters there, it¡¯s also easy to get monster bones, skins, and gemstones.¡± The knight continued to pack Agnes¡¯ purchases in the back of the carriage and she stared at him, confused. ¡°I see that you¡¯re selling monster parts in the marketce, and yet you don¡¯t dare interfere with the church nearby?¡± ¡°In Anatol, the Protestants, not to mention the Catholics, have virtually no power. Although the church exists, it is only a ce to raise orphans with funds the Captain provides. The church has only recently congregated. It used to be justnd.¡± Agnes pointed and shouted. ¡°What¡¯s this? I¡¯m jealous!¡± Max was confused. ¡°W-why are y-you jealous?¡± ¡°From a wizard¡¯s point of view, this scenario is ideal. Wizards and priests often don¡¯t see eye to eye.¡± Agnes huffed. ¡°Priests often see us as beings working against God¡¯s will.¡± She took a seat inside the carriage. Max recalled the priest who had mentored her in her youth and could not imagine the man hostile to wizards. She asked, confused. ¡°Why? T-to use m-magic is amazing. A-any noble w-would want a w-wizard.¡± ¡°Wizards only began to be amodity when this war started.¡± Agnes said. ¡°Once the fights overnd increased, ransoms on wizards increased a lot. Since I knew wizards were needed to support my father¡¯s reign, I convinced the Protestant sector to take a more tolerant position on magic. Today, magicians are so powerful that the Church must ept them. ording to traditional doctrine, magic is a demon¡¯s power that refutes God¡¯s will. Demons are evil spirits, and it is sacrilegious to trade demon bones, scales, and gemstones.¡± The princess took out a red gemstone she had recently purchased and sighed. ¡°The Catholic Church still strongly influences the trading of monster parts, and usually only allows mana stones to be traded. If you¡¯re caught trading monster bones, scales, or skins, you are referred to them. I have only been able to make a few magic tools, myself, since resources are limited.¡± ¡°Do p-protestants allow t-trade?¡± Max said. ¡°Protestants allow people to trade gemstones, monster bones, scales, and even monster skins freely. However, trading the blood or flesh of a monster is strictly prohibited.¡± Max frowned. ¡°W-what w-would you do w-with the blood or f-flesh?¡± She had heard that mana stones and bones from monsters and dragons could be used for magic equipment, such as using scales and skin to make armor. But how could one use the blood or flesh? Agnes smiled, amused at her trepidation. ¡°They can be used for ck magic or alchemy. There are rumors that some people even consume monster flesh.¡± ¡°Eating that!¡± Max eximed. Note ¨C Nymeria: Unpopr opinion, I really like Agnes, she doesn¡¯t really care about anything and she¡¯s so easygoing! I think she¡¯ll be a good influence for Maxi. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Trantor: LN Proofreader: Nymeria It wasn¡¯t just Max. Rudis and the attendant in the carriage made faces as if they were sick and Agnes burst intoughter. ¡°It¡¯s only a rumor. If you¡¯re caught, you¡¯ll just be exiled from the Church. You would have to be crazy to attempt it, anyway.¡± ¡°Ripples in the water exist once they are made.¡± Seville, the attendant said. ¡°It¡¯s madness to consider eating monster flesh.¡± He covered his mouth with his sleeve as if he were about to vomit. ¡°Anyway, it is usually easy enough to make magical tools in Drystan, the state bordering here.¡± Agnes said. ¡°The problem is getting the materials. Buying the materials requires permission from the government. Although a ck market exists, the prices there are astronomically expensive. Wizards in the capitol oftene down to the southern provinces to buy materials at cheaper prices, since Protestantism is more prevalent there.¡± ¡°T-then, is t-that why w-wizards are coing to Anatol often?¡± Max said. ¡°From what we¡¯ve seen today, that seems to be the case, doesn¡¯t it? There were a good amount of wizards in town bartering with the merchants. Perhaps part of the reason wizards areing to Anatol is because the Church has less influence here.¡± As Agnes had said before, wizards flocking into Anatol would be a great blessing to the province. There were just not that many wizards who lived here permanently, the province needed three times as many healers then they had now to adequately support their wounded after monster attacks. ¡°Even if more and more wizardse to Anatol, the traffic will stop in the wintertime.¡± Agnes observed, thoughtfully. ¡°You really need wizards to settle here to make a permanent difference. Maximilian, are you a Protestant?¡± ¡°I-in the D-duchy of Croix, o-our head priest was Catholic. He p-preached about the t-testaments strictly.¡± Max began to add quickly, in case Agnes misunderstood. ¡°B-but he was a p-pragmatic person and did not openly o-oppose magic. M-magic is useful l-like swordsmanship. God g-gave us magical r-resources.¡± ¡°Thank you for speaking like this.¡± The princess smiled gently. Max didn¡¯t mention that she was currently learning magic, too. It would be too embarrassing to speak about her feeble attempts of harnessing mana to Agnes, who was already an Archmage. She coughed and couldn¡¯t stop the blood from rising to her cheeks, as the princess suddenly knocked the carriage door to get the coachman¡¯s attention. ¡°Where are we going now?¡± Agnes said. ¡°We¡¯re going to the castle.¡± Seville grunted. ¡°Haven¡¯t we been at the marketce long enough already? I¡¯m exhausted. Before the sun goes down, I want to wash away the dust that¡¯s been cast on me today and rest.¡± He stretched his legs out. Besides Agnes and the knights, the group was tired. And so, the carriage drove to the outskirts of the town and returned to the castle in a roundabout way. The sun was soon setting, turning the sky in a brilliant red. When the carriage finally stopped, Max stepped out to see purple clouds among an amber-colored sky. Her shoulders and neck were stiff from being on her tiptoes around Agnes. She frowned and started heading to the main hall when someone wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled Max tightly against his chest. She looked back in surprise to see Riftan hugging her from behind. ¡°It must¡¯ve been hard to be dragged along all day.¡± ¡°Omo-omo, what are you saying?¡± Agnes said. ¡°You make it sound as if I were taking Max everywhere by force.¡± The princess stepped down from the carriage. Uslin was helping her down out of courtesy and grunted at Riftan¡¯sment, but covered his mouth to hide it. Riftan ignored her and shifted his arm to hug Max around her shoulders. He kissed her head softly. Max¡¯s face reddened. Although he was often physically affectionate, it was still embarrassing for her to receive intimacy in public. At the same time, Max¡¯s heart jumped with joy and she felt ticklish on the back of her neck. As Riftan caressed her neck with his thumb, she got goosebumps. ¡°Captain, has the patrol beenpleted?¡± Hebaron said. ¡°I was going to jointer in the night to help investigate the area. Any issues so far?¡± He continued to unpack Agnes¡¯ purchases from the carriage. Riftan sighed and released his arm from Max. ¡°We stopped early. There¡¯s something we need to discuss. Gather all the knights to the meeting room.¡± ¡°Cap¡¯n, right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riftan said. Hebaron stretched his lips out like a duck, annoyed by his bluntness. Max also bit her lip, a bit disappointed that she wouldn¡¯t be able to spend time with him that evening. Ignoring the others, Riftan gently pushed her back toward the Great Hall. ¡°Go back to the room and rest. You¡¯ve been through a lot, today.¡± She hesitated before signaling Rudis toe with her. Was Agnes going to retire as well? At that moment, the princess said to Riftan straightforwardly. ¡°Please let me join the meeting. I will help if I can, based on the history of our alliance.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Riftan nodded. Max stood still and watched Hebaron, Uslin, Riftan and Agnes walk to the knight¡¯s quarters across the field. *** The group had left to the meeting room. Max¡¯s heart ached for no reason, and her stomach felt upset. She headed up the stairs quickly, trying to shake off her uneasiness. She stayed in the room, ate dinner alone, and spent the evening watching the kittens ying on the floor. Riftan and the knights didn¡¯te out of their meeting until it was veryte, the topic of their discussion was still a mystery. The maids told Max that they brought meals to the conference room for them. She was tired but tried her best not to fall asleep, so she lit a candle on her desk and started reading a book with ancient text. After a long time, the door clicked open and Riftan walked in without making a sound. ¡°H-have you finished?¡± Max said. Riftan, who was throwing off his armor in the dark, stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be sleeping already.¡± He took off his shirt and tossed it to the floor before getting closer to her. ¡°You must have been tired from going out today. Why are you still awake?¡± ¡°N-no, I-I¡¯m not t-too tired.¡± Riftan¡¯s forehead creased as he touched her cheek and lightly swept the hair from around her dark eyes with his rough, callused thumb. ¡°You¡¯ve been decorating the garden and weed the guests. There¡¯s no need to overdo yourself.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m okay. R-Riftan, you work much h-harder.¡± His touch felt good on Max¡¯s cheek. She instinctively tilted her head and rubbed her lips against the palm of his hand. He flinched and groaned, then covered her lips with his. Riftan¡¯s mouth was a little cold to Max and his tongue tasted faintly of wine. ¡°It¡¯s been difficult to hold back.¡± Riftan muttered darkly, obviously trying to control himself. He wrapped her face in his hands and rubbed the strands of hair curling around Max¡¯s ear. His face was turning a golden color from the candlelight, which gave him the appearance of a devil. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to force you, if you don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t mind.¡± Max slowly wrapped her fingers around Riftan¡¯s arm. She had missed him so much. Riftan was struck dumb. As soon as he saw the assent on her face, he groaned like a beast and began to kiss her, almost violently. Max touched his hair and reciprocated, her body feeling hot. Riftan undressed her quickly and grabbed her breasts. Without preamble, she slid her hands against his firm chest as well. He was like a hunting dog without a leash who couldn¡¯t hold back his enthusiasm. He soon moved their position to the bed, where he began to move his hands between her legs, hungrily pouring kisses below her knees as if he wanted to swallow her whole. When he lost reason, he began to fill her with his body. After a beat, Max began to melt from the intense pleasure. The grinding went on until she climaxed, and the worries in her heart burned away. Yet a small corner of her chest felt hollow, despite the fleshy pleasure. Max rested her head against Riftan¡¯s arm and gazed at the canopy above the bed. She couldn¡¯t imagine why she didn¡¯t feel satisfied after being with him in that way. What could she do to get rid of this anxiety, despite how nicely he treated her? She had never felt this way before she had met him. ¡°Has your day been difficult?¡± Riftan asked, worried. He had felt Max tense and began to rub her skin that was still cold with sweat. She shook her head and buried her face in his shoulder. Riftan frowned, as if he didn¡¯t believe her, and cupped Max¡¯s pink, puffy breasts with one hand, rubbing them softly and resting his lips on her shoulder. ¡°Has Agnes started her useless games again?¡± he said. ¡°U-useless? W-what do you mean?¡± Riftan raised his head and frowned a bit. ¡°Here,e lie on top of me.¡± ¡°W-well, r-regarding what you¡¯ve said. I d-don¡¯t u-understand.¡± ¡°The princess is calcting. She¡¯s a genius at opening people¡¯s minds with a few choice words. She has the ability to make people feel as if their insides were pushed out and manipte them at will. I¡¯m worried that she may have treated you badly.¡± Max was shocked by his words. How could he gossip so calmly about the princess like that? She squeezed her legs around his iron-hard calves and crunched her toes together. ¡°You two l-look g-good together.¡± Max said stubbornly. ¡°¡­What?¡± Riftan said. His eyes widened in disbelief and thenughed at the ridiculous statement. ¡°Have you seen how I treat Agnes? Why in hell do you think we look good together?¡± ¡°R-Riftan. Y-you treat her like Uslin, Hebaron, and the o-other knights. T-that¡¯s why it s-seems you two have a g-good rtionship.¡± He raised his head to look at Max¡¯s expression. She was embarrassed to show her jealousy out in the open, Riftan instead gave her a mean smile. ¡°If you think about it that way, I suppose our rtionship is not that bad. She¡¯s annoying, but a great woman of skill, and not arrogant like most royals. But that¡¯s it. We¡¯re onlyrades, and I¡¯ve never thought of getting close to Agnes that way. She probably feels the same.¡± ¡°R-Riftan, how c-can you be sure?¡± ¡°During the dragon expedition, we were together for almost a year, but none of us had the desire to cross that line.¡± Max resisted asking what he meant by ¡°crossing that line¡±, feeling that the truth would hurt her more. She hated that they had spent a year together. Even though she knew she could trust Riftan, her stomach became upset again. As if noticing that she was still ufortable, Riftan blushed and spat out. ¡°You also have a good rtionship with Ruth.¡± Max raised her head in shock. How had Ruth¡¯s name suddenly cropped up?
Note ¨C Nymeria: How cute is Riftan, so jealous about Ruth? They¡¯re finally gonna talk a bit and I can already smell wholesomeness, it¡¯s just around the corner! Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Trantor ¨C LN Riftan looked down at Max¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t think you want to sleep with him¡±, he said sharply, as if checking her response. ¡°N-no! Of course not!¡± Max said. She was stung by his words, as if he had insulted her. She spoke up heatedly, in case Riftan was still concerned about Ruth. ¡°W-well, I p-promise. Even t-thinking that, I never considered! R-Ruth too. He a-and I would n-never betray R-Riftan.¡± ¡°I know¡± he whispered, subdued. He gently sucked on Max¡¯s lips. ¡°That was just an example. I don¡¯t hate the princess. She¡¯s a reliablepanion, but I¡¯ve never thought of kissing her like this.¡± Max enjoyed Riftan¡¯s chin rubbing against her, which had a slightly scratchy texture. ¡°What I feel for Agnes is different to how I feel for you.¡± ¡°W-What do y-you mean exactly?¡± She gazed at Riftan¡¯s manly face with shaky eyes. They only shared a bed together, she was only a small part of his life. He saw her expression and pressed her face against his chest. ¡°You are my only family¡± he sighed over the top of her head. Max¡¯s heart began to beat quickly at his deration. She stopped breathing for a moment and contemted his words. Family. She had never considered the concept before. Yes, they were family indeed, he was her husband, and she was his wife. Suddenly, she felt a lump in her throat. Riftan moved his hand and began rubbing her stomach to lighten the mood. ¡°And if we have a child someday, our family will consist of three.¡± ¡°Oh, a-a child. W-would you like one?¡± ¡°A birth would be good. It would be agreeable if we could see the child crawling on the floor while having red hair and grey eyes.¡± ¡°I-I think b-ck hair for the b-baby would be n-nice.¡± Max murmured, choking up. She felt happy just imagining a beautiful child who resembled her husband. To be with Riftan and have his child¡­ Since arriving to Anatol, Max had been wrapped around several adventures and tasks, so she hadn¡¯t even considered bing pregnant, but thinking about it now, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to finally have a child. Her eyes became unfocused as she started daydreaming. What would it feel like to hold a soft, milk-white baby against her chest and brush the baby¡¯s heavy, ck hair? Watching the child¡¯s rosy lips pucker? Could she even begin to imagine the joy she would feel when the child would call her ¡®mother?¡¯ Max¡¯s heartrate increased as she thought happily about the future. However, a sour thought came to her mind. It had been almost half a year since she came to Anatol, was it normal that she had no child yet? ording to the nanny who raised her, menstruation stopped when women became pregnant. If so, she should expect to not have her period again sincest month, right? Although Riftan had left the castle several times, they went to bed together so frequently¡­ Max became anxious as she recalled her mother, who had suffered from not being able to bear any sons. ¡°Sleep now.¡± Riftan told her. He reached out to turn off themp and pulled the nket up to Max¡¯s chin. She fell into his warm arms and tried to forget about her dark predictions. The time just hasn¡¯te yet, she thought. Some couples had children only after three or four years since their marriage. Obviously, in due time, good news would arrive for them too. *** The next day, Max woke up alone when the sun was already up. She checked the empty space on the bed where Riftan hadid. With disappointed eyes, she sat up and sighed. He was an amazingly diligent man. She got out of bed and began her toilette. That day, she was going to start doing the duties she had neglected while showing Agnes around Anatol. The gardens had to be inspected and she had to ensure that the guests were being properly amodated. Although the busy day had just begun, Max felt lighter and more at ease than the day before. She smiled as she remembered Riftan¡¯s wide arms, who held her warmly throughout the night, feeling more rxed after confirming that his feelings for her had not cooled down. ¡°Greetings, my Lady,¡± the maids bowed with cheerful smiles, as they opened the door and met Max. ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡± ¡°I s-slept well. Thank y-you. D-Did the g-guests have any i-issues?¡± ¡°Everyone sleptfortably, my Lady. Besides the princess, everyone is still resting in their rooms¡±, said Rudis. ¡°H-how is the p-princess?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been outside on the grounds with Lord Calypse since early morning¡±. ¡°T-together with t-the Lord?¡± Rudis noticed Max¡¯s worried expression and added quickly. ¡°The knights are also with them. One of the other servants mentioned that they were all nning to go over the guard¡¯s training.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± She was embarrassed that Rudis had realized her dark mood and quickly turned her face away. Even thoughst night Riftan had said with his own mouth that he had no feelings for the princess, Max got immediately nervous hearing that the two of them were together. Had she always been such a jealous woman? She rushed down the stairs, rubbing her hot face. Her nervous feeling did not go away, even while she searched the garden for Rodrigo, the head butler. Riftan wasn¡¯t having a secret meeting with another woman, so why was she so anxious? Max wandered restlessly through the garden for a long time, before giving in and heading to the training grounds. Even if she would feel awkward and ufortable with all of them together, it would make her feel more at ease than she was now. With deep thoughts, Max hurriedly went through the training ground gates when a loud shout erupted. She stood at the entrance and looked down. Simr to when there were special trainings, there were more knights and trainees than usual, all cluttered together around the stands. On one side was Agnes and her entourage, on the other side were the apprentice knights. With all eyes on them, two knights walked into the field. Max¡¯s eyes widened. Both knights were wearing helmets, but it was easy to recognize by his confident stride that one of the knights was Riftan. Was he going to duel with one of Agnes¡¯ men? Why? She watched them, confused, as the knights pulled out their swords. The armor proved that the challenger was a formal knight, not an apprentice. Had an argument urred with the guests? While Max blinked, Riftan rushed at his opponent, like a shotput flying across the sky, with such a shocking speed that it was hard to believe that he was in full armor. Max screamed and stepped back as the opponents collided, the sound of metallic banging was reminiscent of a thunderbolt. Riftan easily defended himself and threw off his opponent¡¯s sword, who immediately took another position to attack. Their swords collided violently at a speed like that of the beating wings of a hummingbird, the tearing sound of metal reverberating in the air. She could not move. She stood there and watched, shocked by the violence of the act. The fighters¡¯ feet dug into the ground and scattered dust around them, creating ayer of mist made of dirt. The fight was so intense that Max could no longer watch without feeling dizzy, so she turned away. Sir Karon, who was standing nearby, approached her. ¡°Mydy, are you okay?¡± ¡°S-Sir Karon.¡± Max instinctively grabbed the edge of his cloak. ¡°W-what are t-they doing? W-why is Riftan f-fighting?¡± ¡°Stay calm, my Lady. It¡¯s not a duel, just a light match¡±. ¡°L-light?¡± Max stared at him in disbelief. The sound of thunderbolts still resonated behind her back. ¡°H-how can t-that be light? W-what if someone gets i-injured?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the challenger, but the Lord is going easy on him. This level of training ismon among us knights. Please don¡¯t worry¡±. Karon tried to reassure her, yet every time someone moaned her heart started beating more strongly. The knights around her were standing with their arms folded and watching the fight in a rxed pose. ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, I can escort you back¡± he said, looking at her pale, nervous face. Max automatically pressed her hand against Karon¡¯s arm to support herself. At that moment, a sharp CLANG erupted, and the surroundings grew quiet. She looked back, wondering if her husband got injured. Riftan was standing still like a stone statue, he had pushed his sword against the challenger¡¯s neck with a firm grip. The challenger, who had not moved, eventually raised his hand to admit defeat. Max exhaled in relief and felt the tension ease within her body, neither of the fighters seemed to be injured. Her shoulders drooped as she rxed, when she suddenly felt a sharp gaze upon her. Max saw Riftan, who had thrown off his helmet, staring at her fiercely. He strode over while sheathing his sword around his waist and swiftly pulled her away from Karon. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked Karon. ¡°Mydy seemed to be in shock from the training fight¡± he said, embarrassed, and took a step back. ¡°I was only supporting her.¡± Riftan red at him with vicious eyes before turning to Max. ¡°Don¡¯te here, this ce doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± He grabbed her arm and moved her body towards the entrance. Max gasped in difort as Riftan¡¯s metal gauntlet tightened against her arm. As if she were burning, Riftan instantly released her. She rubbed her forearm where he had grabbed her tightly and looked at him, confused. Why was he so upset? ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. It w-was my first time s-seeing a fight. I was just s-surprised.¡± ¡°Have you never seen a joust or swordpetition?¡± Agnes suddenly intervened. Note ¨C Nymeria: Riftan at the start of the chapter = chef kiss. Riftan at the end of the chapter = CHILL DUDE! Idk, I understand he¡¯s jealous and very protective of her, but I¡¯d like for him to realize she¡¯s a grown woman with, finally, her own freedom >:c Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Trantor: LN Proofreader: Nymeria Max stepped back in surprise as Agnes face popped up and immediately regretted moving her foot, her action could be seen as terribly rude to the princess. ¡°I-I have not seen a f-fightingpetition.¡± ¡°Have you ever visited the Pce? My brotheres almost every year. Do you not like the Capital, Maximilian?¡± Agnes said. Max broke out in a sweat, she did not like this topic. ¡°To tr-travel. I do n-not enjoy it m-much.¡± ¡°Still, please visit us with Lord Calypse once. This time, I will guide you around Drakium.¡± ¡°Thank you for the offer, but my wife is not strong enough to travel so far¡± Riftan answered, cutting off Max¡¯s reply. He led her toward the exit and she looked back over her shoulder, bewildered. Agnes shrugged her shoulders, as saying she was used to Riftan¡¯s rudeness, and gave her a strange smile. ¡°D-don¡¯t do that. Y-you must not be so r-rude to the princess. As a l-lord, you m-must set an example¡±, Max said anxiously. ¡°Even if she is royalty, we don¡¯t have to go that far. She¡¯s just toying with us and enjoys getting on my nerves. I¡¯ll take care of escorting Agnes, so don¡¯t meet her anymore¡±, Riftan spat. ¡°Like I said yesterday, that woman has a way of manipting people to do her bidding. There¡¯s no reason for you to mess with her.¡± ¡°B-but Riftan. Y-you¡¯re already b-busy with the r-road construction.¡± At her words, Riftan sighed as if he didn¡¯t want to admit something. ¡°Actually, Agnes will help us regarding that matter.¡± ¡°He-help?¡± ¡°In order to build a road that connects Anatol to the port, we need to get rid of the monsters along the southern border. If a high-ranking wizard like Agnes assists, it will save us effort. There¡¯s no need for you to guide her around Anatol any longer.¡± Max was lost in her thought for a while. ¡°The princess is s-still a g-guest. To ask for s-such a r-request¡­ w-what if the r-royal family t-takes it a-as an offense?¡± ¡°One of Agnes¡¯ attendants said something simr¡± said Riftan, clicking his tongue in annoyance. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who had the idea though, it was the princess who offered to help. Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t broken any rules.¡± In the end, he was involving Agnes and the other guests in dangerous expeditions. Riftan saw Max¡¯s worried eyes, grinned and stroked her head with his metal-d hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much. I wasn¡¯t extremely rude to her, it¡¯s how we usually talk to each other. As for the expeditions, Agnes¡¯ skills aren¡¯tpletely necessary for the more dangerous raids. I¡¯m not crazy enough to endanger a royal guest who only came as an ambassador.¡± Max closed her mouth because she felt a loss of words. She did not like this situation but could not find an alternative solution. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Riftan said again. ¡°Rest in the room. It was unreasonable for you to support the guests for so long.¡± ¡°I-I can also he-help outside, c-can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Can you?¡± his eyes transformed into thin slits, as if he disapproved. Max was intimidated and stuttered, ¡°I c-can do h-healing spells a-and other t-tasks.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern¡±, Riftan said with a firm tone. ¡°But Anatol has a lot of wizards and I will pay for their services. There¡¯s no reason for you to get involved.¡± Max closed her mouth. It was clear that he only wanted her to y two roles, the role as the Lady of Calypse Castle, and as his wife. Riftan had said that she was his only family in the entire world, but she was not his equal that could solve his problems with him. Hiding her disappointment, Max walked one step ahead of him to hide her face. *** Since that day in the training grounds, Max didn¡¯t see Agnes at all. The princess was with Riftan almost every day. The two went out from early morning to head to the southern border often, and when they did not leave the castle grounds, they often had long discussions in the field or inspected thend. Of course, the two of them were never truly alone, there were always a few Remdragon Knights and Agnes¡¯ bodyguards, so there was no reason for Max to feel anxious or worried about the situation. Nheless, her heart was not at ease. Just seeing the princess¡¯ brilliant blonde head standing by Riftan¡¯s side jolted a pain in her heart. Max sighed sadly as she looked outside her window. Spring was showing in the gardens. Agnes was the exact opposite of Max. Unlike her, she was confident, strong, beautiful, and worldly. Surely, after spending so much time together, he would realize how poorly he had chosen his wife, who was often mncholy and ungraceful. Her thoughts became gloomier. Max had beenparing herself to her sister Rosetta for almost her entire life, what if Riftan also startedparing her to other women? She bit her lip. Her inferiorityplex was etched deep into her bones. ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± Ruth said. Max looked up from her philosophy book only to see Ruth standing at the entrance of the library, who was casually eating an apple. ¡°W-where have you b-been? I w-was worried a-about you since you h-haven¡¯t been in t-the library!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been working in the tower for a while and making medicines here and there.¡± Ruth walked to his favorite seat with a hearty stride. ¡°Y-you used to work m-more in the library.¡± ¡°I had evacuated in fear of encountering a dirty adversary.¡± ¡°W-who do y-you mean?¡± ¡°Agnes. I¡¯d like to avoid her if I can.¡± At the unexpectedment, Max opened her eyes widely. Most of the Remdragon Knights and the rest of Riftan¡¯s men saw Agnes in a good light. She had assumed Ruth viewed Agnes the same. ¡°D-do you two h-have a bad r-rtionship?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just one-sided on her end. Agnes is a wizard of Nornui, so she treats me as a traitor who has broken the rules of the Wizard Tower.¡± He wrapped his arms behind his head and leaned back. ¡°To be honest, I just don¡¯t want the attention. I had a dismal time over there. By the way she treats me, I¡¯m probably being treated more horribly from her and the other wizards than how the Church treats the pagans.¡± ¡°I h-had no idea. The o-other day w-when I heard t-that the p-princess wasing, I d-didn¡¯t know it w-would affect you.¡± ¡°Why tell a story about bad blood if it can be avoided?¡± Ruth spoke grandly, as he opened a book that was close to him. Max looked at him oddly and felt a kinship between them. She was relieved that there was at least one other person who didn¡¯t favor Agnes. It was embarrassing how much Agnes upset her, but Max couldn¡¯t get rid of her restlessness. ¡°I d-don¡¯t think she is a b-bad person¡±, Max muttered. ¡°The princess is not a bad guy¡±, Ruth agreed. ¡°Objectively speaking, her knowledge and skills are quite capable and she gets along well with the Remdragon Knights. How I feel about her is a separate matter.¡± Max hesitated before saying honestly, ¡°I-I am u-ufortable with t-the pr-princess.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be surprised if you weren¡¯t¡±, said Ruth turning a page. ¡°It would be rather strange to be happy about seeing a woman who almost married your husband.¡± His words made Max feel better. It was exactly as Ruth said, her feelings were reasonable! Before, she had oftenpared her jealousy of Agnes to a grumpy witch who harbored ill feelings, like those in fairy tales. ¡°Still, t-the princess is h-helping Anatol. I s-should see her in a b-better light¡±. ¡°She¡¯s not helping us to be friendly¡±, Ruth closed his book and smiled lightly. ¡°When I heard she was getting involved, I knew it was because helping us would eventually supply more materials for the Capital. That alone is a business the Princess Agnes would have self-interest in. I¡¯m sure His Majesty also pressured her to convince Lord Calypse toe to the High Court. King Reuben wants the Lord by his side.¡± Max¡¯s shoulders stiffened. ¡°The King w-wants Riftan to go to Drakium?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know why she came?¡± Ruth said. When he saw Max¡¯s face, he quickly added. ¡°But it¡¯s not going to happen. Of course, Lord Calypse won¡¯t be going anywhere. He doesn¡¯t like the life in the Capital, the same goes for the Pce.¡± ¡°W-why?¡± ¡°Obviously, since he¡¯s been knighted, Lord Calypse has despised the nobility he¡¯s seen going in and out of the pce. Even if nobles are respectful to him, it doesn¡¯t make him feel better. He despises pretense.¡± Ruth shrugged, as if this was a universal fact. ¡°Besides, Lord Calypse likes Anatol. Why would he want to be in Drakium, when he can act like a king and be in charge here?¡± ¡°A-a king, y-you say¡±. ¡°To the young people in Anatol, Lord Calypse¡¯s reputation greatly exceeds King Reuben¡¯s. Lord Calypse raised Anatol, like a man who revived reeds from the point of death. The citizens here sincerely adore their Lord since Lord Riftan has supported them.¡± Max looked out the window, feeling overwhelmed. Thendscape was picturesque as if a master painter had boldly drawn the scenery with a brush. Did Riftan truly care for thisnd? She was relieved he felt that way, and yet she also felt lonely. She was envious that he was so tied to and. ¡°Anyway, Agnes won¡¯t be here forever¡±, Ruth said cheerfully. ¡°She will soon realize that persuading Lord Calypse to go back to the Capital is impossible and will leave. I won¡¯t have to avoid her for much longer, I¡¯ll just have to put up with the inconvenience until then.¡± His absurd cheeriness made Max give a faint smile. As Ruth had said, she just had to wait for the princess to give up and leave. Once she left, surely her anxiety about losing her husband would cease. Note ¨C LN: I forgot how much I missed Ruth! Nymeria: Yay finally Ruth! He¡¯s so refreshing, I like seeing Maxi sofortable around him! Also, Riftan not treating Maxi as his equal, like a proper partner¡­ ugh, their rtionship has still a long way to go :c Announcement ¨C Riftan¡¯s POV is now being tranted on LNH! Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Ruth didn¡¯t want to bump into the princess as much as possible; unfortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. Extensivebor was required as the construction for the huge road connecting Anatol and Namhae Port began. The knights were going out several times a day to defeat monsters in the territory whilst protecting the enormous number of people that began to work on the foundations. Given this situation, Ruth couldn¡¯t keep locking himself in the tower. He was directly ced into the subjugation team and was in a position where he could be easily harassed by Princess Agnes. Rather than feeling sorry for him, Max was envious. Everyone in Anatol could help with Riftan¡¯s work, but Max seemed to be excluded from that. Even Yulysion and Garrow went out of the territory to defeat monsters or to run errands for the knights, while all Max had to do was quietly nt flowers in the garden inside the imprable castle walls. Of course, managing and supervising the castle was not a leisurely job. However, Max could hardly shake the feeling of being a child left alone in an empty house. As those kinds of days continued, she even started feeling skeptical about learning magic: no matter how much she polished her skills, she couldn¡¯t even go out of Calypse Castle, so what was the use of defensive magic, magic that creates light, and magic that arouses wind? When she first learned about magic, she had fantasies of bing a great adventurer and going on expeditions with Riftan, but that dream had long been broken. There was no way she was going to be involved in any dangerous adventures. Realizing that made her feel lonely and alienated, but she couldn¡¯t honestly tell anyone. All the servants were kind, but it was not suitable to confess how she was feeling to them. On the other hand, Riftan was very busy and in a sense a partner she couldn¡¯t be honest with the most. In the end, all Max could do to end her suffocating loneliness was to mechanically go through day by day. ¡°You are not eating well these days. Perhaps you feel ufortable somewhere¡­¡± Rudis anxiously asked Max, as she was having ate lunch. She shook her head and smiled forcibly. She waited untilte for Riftan to return, causing her to sleep less hours and it noticeably weakened her stamina and made her lose her appetite, although her body wasn¡¯t ill. ¡°Your under eyes has darkened. How about taking even just a nap?¡± ¡°T- Thank you for your concern. H-however¡­ the s-spice vendor will ce this a-afternoon.¡± ¡°Then, would you like to have your dinner in your bedroom tonight so you can rest?¡± Max shook her head. ¡°T-there are guests¡­I can¡¯t h-have my meals a-alone in the bedroom. I-it¡¯s the mistress¡¯ duty.¡± ¡°The guests would understand if you¡¯re feeling unwell¡­¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m really okay!¡± Rudis¡¯ persistent suggestions felt a little annoying, so she sharply cut off the conversation and the maid shut her mouth. Max broke the bread piece by piece in an ufortable silence and forced it into her mouth. Surely, her body felt heavy and tired, however lying down in bed in broad daylight and doing nothing seemed to only generate self-destructive thoughts. Thinking that it would do her mental health better to move around busily, she left the food she was eating, got up, and wore a cloak. Before meeting the vendor, she thought of looking around the kitchen first. ¡°Madam, here you are!¡± As she was leaving the room, an urgent voice was heard from the hallway. Max turned her head and widened her eyes when she saw Rodrigo running. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It looks like there was a problem at the road construction site. Several workers were injured because of monsters, I received word to send guards and relief supplies.¡± Max felt the blood drain from her face. Riftan must have been at the construction site and yet, such a problem arose, which meant that it had to be a very terrible monster running wild. Her fear rushed in for a moment, but she managed to gather herposure. Didn¡¯t she learn how to deal with a problem like thisst winter with Ruth? But in reality she could barely recall the instructions Ruth had given then. ¡°A-at once, p-please load in the wagon¡­n-necessities. K-kettles and firewood¡­bowl and c-clean cloth, needle, thread, medicinal herbs¡­e-everything you need!¡± ¡°Yes, madam.¡± ¡°P-prepare the wagon, they m-might also need nkets, p-please load it. W-where is the person who came to r-report?¡± ¡°He is in the field, preparing with the guards.¡± ¡°I need to know e-exactly w-what kind of situation it is. P-please load your luggage in the w-wagon and go in the front of the castle¡¯s gates.¡± Rodrigo bowed and immediately ran down the stairs. Max also went out in a hurry. She couldn¡¯t rely on Ruth this time. Thinking she had to respond calmly despite being alone in this¡­ Max rubbed her palms, which were soaked with cold sweat, against the hem of her clothes and crossed the garden. As she passed the gate, she saw several guards loading three wagons and ran straight to them. ¡°I-I heard there was a problem. T-he news¡­w-who brought the news?¡± ¡°That¡¯s me. I received instructions from Sir Uslin Rikaido toe here and get the supplies needed.¡± A middle-aged soldier wearing a helmet came forward. Max, swallowing dryly, asked. ¡°I-is the situation serious? H-how many were injured?¡± ¡°About 20 workers were injured, and around 15 guards who were doing rounds were seriously injured. The wizard administered first aid to those who were seriously injured, but since there are still remaining monsters to be defeated at the forefront, about half of the injured are being neglected in order to conserve magic¡­¡± Hearing that there was still a battle going on made Max¡¯s fingertips cold. ¡°T-the lord¡­i-is he safe?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to give a sure answer since the subjugation isn¡¯t over yet, but he is Lord Calypse. He will be fine.¡± Max was able to calm down a bit with the soldier¡¯s confident words. ¡°G-good. Hurry¡­p-please prepare.¡± The soldier nodded and went back to the wagon. Max resolutely gleamed as she watched weapons, tents, and food being loaded on top of the wagon. As the soldier said, Riftan was the best knight on the continent, there was nothing to be worried about. All she needed to do was to focus on doing her part. Max sped her hands together and prayed silently in her heart. *** Shortly after, as soon as everything was ready, they rode the wagons and made their exit through the city gate. The guards were embarrassed that Max was following them, but they couldn¡¯t object to the doing of the lord¡¯s wife, so they just quietly led the carriage. Max silently gazed at the rapidly passingndscape with a breathtaking tension. The carriage descended from the hill and swiftly passed through the town square, reaching the southern gate. In front of the gate there were bricks, sandbags, and two carts carrying patients entering the half-open door. Max leaped off the carriage and ran to them at once. ¡°Mdy!¡± She was examining a pale-faced worker who had a splint tightly wrapped around his broken leg when she heard a new voiceing from behind. Max found Yulysion running towards her in an armor and her eyes widened. However, he was a hundred times more surprised than her. ¡°W-what are you doing here?¡± ¡°T-there was an ident¡­so I c-came along with the s-soldiers. The injured¡­d-did you bring them?¡± ¡°There was not enough transportation to bring all of them, so we only brought a few patients.¡± She nced at the three menying on the cart. They weren¡¯t suffering from a fatal injury but all of them seemed to be seriously bleeding. She unwrapped the tight cloth around the man¡¯s thigh sitting at the far end and inspected it to see if there were any foreign objects in the wound. Fortunately, the wound appeared to contain no sand or dirt. She then proceeded to tear the man¡¯s pants longer to make sure that there weren¡¯t any misaligned bones, and applied healing magic. As the umted mana in her body rapidly decreased, she suddenly felt dizzy: she had never healed such a big wound before. Does it really take this much mana? She felt arge amount of mana being expelled from her body and her arms trembled. ¡°Mdy, are you alright?¡± Yulysion gazed down anxiously at her pale face. Max casually smiled and administered healing to the other two workers. Although her mana rapidly decreased, causing a cold sweat to form on her back, she quickly recovered from it. She asked the guards to bring the injured to the treatment center and got on the wagon again. Yulysion urgently chased after her. ¡°Mdy! It¡¯s dangerous out there. There¡¯s no need for you to go, just go back to castle¡­¡± ¡°W-what are you talking about! I-I am the lord¡¯s wife. When t-there is a p-problem in the territory¡­o-of course I must help. Look. These people, I h-healed them.¡± ¡°But mdy hasn¡¯t practiced magic for a while, and outside the territory, monsters might appear¡­¡± ¡°I-I can also do my part! Didn¡¯t you say the o-other day? E-even when I encountered a w-werewolf, I didn¡¯t e-even blink. T-there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Max spat out in a cold tone. Her pride was hurt since she was being treated like an ipetent child by a 16-year-old boy. She wouldn¡¯t have learned magic in the first ce if she thought of being stuck in the castle, she learned magic diligently to be able to offer help. Max ordered the coachman to drive, and her carriage began to roll strenuously out the gates. Yulysion swiftly climbed onto his horse to follow alongside her. She pretended not to notice that he was shooting anxious nces from the exterior windows of the carriage and focused on restoring her mana as much as possible. It wasn¡¯t long before the road leveled out and Max saw the bricks stacked at the end of the road. A simple bell was installed, surrounded by soil, sand and bricks. She jumped out of the wagon and saw a huge monster lying on the open road, surrounded by broken oaks. She instinctively stepped back. Yulysion jumped off her horse and quickly ran to help her. ¡°It¡¯s a dead wyvern. This is the one responsible for this whole mess. ¡° Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Mar blushed, ashamed that she showed Yulysion such reluctance, especially after boasting that she was not doing much of a thing. She did her best, but seeing and being in the presence of an enormous monster for the first time in her life made it difficult to maintain a casual face. With terrified eyes, she nced at the giant wyvern lying dead with its long tongue sticking out. It was a horrifying monster at least 40 kvet long (12 meters). Its head was just like a crocodile¡¯s and its broken wings resembled that of a bat; its heavy body was coated in a ck of the exact shade of charcoal. ¡°As for dragons¡­ they are ten times bigger than a wyvern.¡± Goosebumps rose all over Max¡¯s forearms. How in the world did they fight against such a terrible monster? As Max vaguely imagined the sceneing into reality, a sense of fear came upon her. ¡°Madam, yourplexion doesn¡¯t look good. Indeed, returning to the castle¡­¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just that my ma-mana is still recovering¡­it hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet.¡± Max hastilyposed her face and turned to the guards, giving instructions to first make a fire and boil water. Some soldiers who were standing guard in the area approached them to help unload. ¡°The i-injured people¡­w-where are they?¡± ¡°This way. Open spaces are in danger of being attacked by wyverns, so the injured are amongst the trees.¡± ¡°Wh-where¡¯s R-ruth?¡± ¡°The wizard is helping the lord in Cabro valley. It seems that a group of wyverns migrated there during the winter. Nearly twenty wyverns were sighted, so all the other wizards were sent on that subjugation mission.¡± ¡°T-twenty?¡± Max¡¯s heart shook at the news of Riftan fighting twenty of such enormous monsters and her stomach twisted with anxiety. She held back the urge to run in an instant to where Riftan was and barely squeezed out her voice. ¡°T-then¡­people who can p-perform healing magic¡­there¡¯s n-no one left.¡± ¡°Though I immediately called for the herbalist in the vige, we are having a difficult time due to the high number of injured people.¡± Yulysion pointed to an old woman caring for patients in one camp. ¡°A-alright. I want to prioritize s-seeing the badly injured people f-first.¡± She took some steps and nced around quickly. Men covered in dirt and dust were lying down on messy beds made of dirty cloth. A soldier pointed to one of them. ¡°He was a sentry guard on duty. When the wyvern threw him, his head hit against a rock, making him lose consciousness. He¡¯s still breathing¡­ however, his body has grown colder. Please examine him first.¡± Max bent her knees to take a look at the young soldier. His scalp wascerated from the head to the temple, and his shoulder bruised ck. After checking for any broken bones, Max ced her hand on the wound and generated healing magic. A warm heat escaped through her palms and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Max stopped midway for she couldn¡¯t heal the woundpletely as it would drain her mana and would have nothing left for the other patients. ¡°I-I only administered first aid. His wounds¡­ wash it cleanly and when he r-regains consciousness, please give him some w-water to drink. The guards shall g-give him some medicinal herbs r-right away. ¡° ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°I, alone¡­ it¡¯s difficult to h-heal all of the Injured. Right now¡­ Is there a-anyone else who needs immediate t-treatment?¡± ¡°There are two more people who are unconscious¡­¡± Max swallowed a groan inwardly and talked with firm determination. ¡°Please l-lead me to them.¡± *** After Max administered healing magic to the two unconscious patients, she waspletely exhausted, and her body drooped. Will it really be like this when using magic? She had never experienced such a strong dizziness before, that she felt a faint anxiety. ¡°Mdy, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just tired from using h-healing magic¡­ I-I will recover soon so¡­ d-don¡¯t worry.¡± Earnestly hoping that was true, Max sat down against a tree for a moment and took a breath. Meanwhile, the soldiers arranged their luggage in the wagons, set up tents among the trees, made sleeping bags, and carried patients. The campfire was lit, able to boil water, and sentries on patrol surrounded the area to guard. Max watched the busy scene, waiting for the dizziness to subside, then got up and staggered, gradually gaining a clearer vision. She stubbornly went that far; she couldn¡¯t stop and rest now. Max scooped up some water from the pot, moistened her lips with the lukewarm drink, and began to see the injured again. Fortunately, she was able to treat the injured more skillfully than she thought; perhaps, it was all thanks to her previous experience. After meticulously cleaning the wounds, she sprinkled some hemostatic powder that Ruth previously gave her and wrapped the wounds in clean cloth; broken and dislocated bones were aligned and tightly wrapped with a splint with the help of the soldiers. She also made sure to have everyone drink water infused with anti-fever and detoxes. Max knew that, although they appeared to be fine now,ter on they could develop high fever. ¡°Madam, this is thest person to be treated. His wound is quite big, will you be okay?¡± A middle-aged soldier with a shaggy beard asked whilst guiding her to the wounded soldier lying on the edge of the camp. Max looked at the man whose shoulder had a big gash. The wound didn¡¯t look like it could be fixed by a simple ster of cloth. She would have to use a thread and a needle to sew it up, just like what Ruth taught her, but she didn¡¯t have enough confidence to do it. ¡°This¡­ This person is t-thest one¡­ injured?¡± ¡°Yes, all the other people who were injured have already been tended to. Those who are well enough to move will be brought to Anatol once the scouts return.¡± Max looked around, all the guards and workers wrapped in bandages were seated to one side drinking the prepared herbal soup. It was unlikely that someone from that group will suddenly get worse. Max, who was slightly worried, drew out the remaining mana she had and casted a healing spell on the wounded soldier. As her magic left her body, her sight suddenly shed white, but unexpectedly she quickly recovered from it. Perhaps, she was getting used to doing it bit by bit. With a sigh of relief, Max stood up from her seat and Yulysion ran to her at once. ¡°Mdy, when the sun sets, it will be more dangerous here. You should go back to Anatol at once.¡± ¡°Any news from¡­the R-remdragon Knights?¡± ¡°It looks like a couple of wyverns are hiding deep in the valley and they¡¯re having difficulty. However, it won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°W-well, then¡­I¡¯ll go back t-together with the knights. I-it will be more s-safe.¡± Yulysion¡¯s face was traced with conflict. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to go back as soon as possible and rest? Your face is as white as a sheet of paper.¡± ¡°If I sit by the f-fire and r-restore my mana¡­I will s-soon be okay. I¡¯ll do that quietly. What I¡¯m w-worried about is Riftan.¡± Yulysion¡¯s eyes widened, as if surprised by what she said. It was strange for Riftan Calypse to be an object of concern. Perhaps people didn¡¯t even have a single worry for the knight who defeated the red dragon, however Max knew about the extent of Riftan¡¯s recklessness, and her guts turned with concern. Even if it was him, he wasn¡¯t immortal. ¡°If they don¡¯te back by the dark¡­ I-I¡¯ll return to Anatol.¡± Yulysion sighed with resignation as he looked at Max¡¯s stubborn face. ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes you to go back¡­ then, alright.¡± ¡°T-thank you.¡± ¡°Indeed, if the knights really don¡¯te back by sundown, you¡¯ll have to certainly go back to the castle. When it gets dark, monsters¡­¡± At that moment, Yulysion pushed Max¡¯s body and drew out the sword from his waist. Before Max could even understand what was going on, she rolled to the ground. All of a sudden, the sky was covered with a dark shadow and heavy steps resonated, making the ground vibrate. Max gasped, crippled on the floor. An enormous monster with bright red eyes was standing in front of them with its mouth wide open, disying a sharp set of teeth. It was unbelievable that such a humongous creature so silently. Half of the camp was blown by the gust from the creature¡¯s wings. Had Yulysion not immediately pushed her body, she would have also been sent flying like dust. ¡°Run!¡± Yulysion yelled whilst waving his sword that gleamed blue against the light. As the monster¡¯s wings were torn by the sword¡¯s blow, itsrge body leaned. A strong wind was generated, trees shook and fell, the ground trembled as if there were an earthquake. ¡°Hurry, get the madam!¡± ¡°Please,e this way!¡± One of the soldiers grabbed Max¡¯s arm, grimly pulling it and they started running. Max staggered as she followed the soldier, running away from the monster; her foot was caught in a stone and she fell against the ground. Her arm that was held by the soldier was throbbing, as if it was yanked out and her scraped knee hurt, as if it was going to split. ¡°Mdy! A-are you alright?¡± She quickly tried to get back on her feet but the sight before her eyes shook her, making her dizzy and her stomach painfully knotted; she couldn¡¯t endure it anymore. Maxid on the floor and vomited. Her heart, swollen with fear, hurt like it was being stabbed by knives. Her mouth was wide open, as if forgetting how to breathe, desperately trying to get back up; at that moment, a golden sh of light appeared, making everything bright. Max looked back with terrified eyes. A huge fire was burning the enormous monster. ¡°Riftan!¡± Princess Agnes¡¯ sharp voice rang in the air like a whip, and then someone jumped in the fire to the swaying monster and swung his sword heavily. The head of the enormous monster who measures about 50 kvet (about 15 meters) flew in the air like a beheaded rooster, and the monster¡¯s body copsed, falling, and causing the ground to shake like there was an earthquake. Max stared at the scene with tears streaming down her face, her vision then turned ck. ¡°Mdy! Are you alright?¡± Yulysion ran to her with urgency and lifted her body, but her limbs fell like their bones had melt and disappeared. Max, who leaned against the boy¡¯s body and shook uncontrobly, before losing all senses and slipping into unconsciousness. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Trantor ¨C LN Proofreader ¨C Nymeria ¡°Breathe slowly. Yes, just like that¡­¡± Riftan said. Max struggled to breathe as if her head was underwater. She bent towards the floor, her stomach pressing over her knees tightly. Someone began to rub her back gently. Her shoulders still shook. Slowly, Max opened her eyes and saw a familiar scene. She was back in her bedroom, a familiar red hue from the candlelight subtly lit the room. It was easy to tell it was night now. After staring around a bit longer with a confused expression, she moved and moaned softly and someone brought a cold, brass bowl to her mouth. ¡°Hurl if you need to¡±, Riftan said. Max looked at him, her eyes still wet. Over the strands of his tussled hair, she saw that blood was still sttered over his face. ¡°You feel sick because you¡¯ve wasted too much mana. You¡¯ll feel better after throwing up.¡± Max pressed her shaking hands against her chest and began to cough what little was in her insides. ¡°Ru-Rudis¡­.pl-please call fo-for her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Keep going.¡± Max closed her mouth and shook her head. Her stomach was upset and she was starting to cry again. She didn¡¯t want Riftan to see her like this. ¡°Ru-Rudis¡­¡± Max said. Please call for her. Max tried to wrest herself out of his arms, but he only moved the bowl to the side and pulled her body against his chest. She continued to resist, but Riftan¡¯s arm was too strong. He cupped her chin and pushed two fingers into her mouth, lightly squeezing the back of her tongue. Eventually, Max vomited a sticky residue onto Riftan¡¯s chest. Her body convulsed, and tears began to run down her face more freely. ¡°Ssssh¡­It¡¯s alright.¡± Riftan said. He rocked her body back and forth, as if she were a small child, and patted Max on the back. Her face stung from her shameful appearance, as she spewed everything that came to the surface. Her face, hands, and dress were covered with sticky vomit. ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡±, Riftan muttered, and wiped her face with a clean sleeve. Yet unlike his soft gestures, his expression was grim and tense, his mouth straightened into a thin line as he unfastened the straps on Max¡¯s back and undressed her, then he removed his shirt as well. When the cold air touched her naked skin, she instinctively leaned against his body. Riftan swiftly pulled her closer and rubbed her cold back. Max fell deeper into his arms, seeking to get warmer. She pressed against his hard abs and twisted her legs against his. ¡°F*ck.¡± Riftan¡¯s cheeks became red and a sheen of sweat began to perspire on his forehead. His body became hotter to Max¡¯s touch, as if he were made of burning iron. She could feel his heart thumping to a quicker rhythm against her chest, yet his arms still held her gently. Max struggled to stay awake as he wiped her face with a towel and undid the pins out of messy hair. She moved to rest her chin naturally over his shoulder. When had Riftan returned to the castle? What about destroying the huge monster? Her body trembled as she began to feel sleepy. ¡°Your body is too cold¡±, said Riftan touching her with his hot hands. When he saw that she felt faint, he lifted her and rested her body near the bathtub in front of the firece. Max entered the bath and waited for the hot water to warm her body, but she still felt colder than ever. ¡°Wh-why?¡± she said. ¡°Losing mana feels like losing blood¡±, Riftan said, bluntly. ¡°You¡¯ll feel cold and light-headed.¡± He scooped water into one of his palms and poured it over her shoulders. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that d*mn bastard didn¡¯t watch out for you. No, I bet Ruth never dreamed you would be this hasty.¡± His tone was full of disapproval. Max delicately lifted her eyes and saw his expression. Riftan¡¯s eyes shone dangerously from anger. He retrieved a thick towel, dried his hands, took off his pants and rested Max¡¯s back against his chest. ¡°You¡¯ll feel warmer if we share my body temperature¡±, he said hugging her. He deftly moved her into a bridal position, cing her between his thighs and hanging one arm loosely over her waist. Max could feel Riftan¡¯s prick harden against her but could do nothing tofort him, his hot skin distracted her. She pressed against his body like a young chicken poking for her right to lean against her mother hen¡¯s breast. He drew a sharp breath as he continued to hold her and his hands began to shake. She ignored his struggles, she was so cold and dizzy that it felt as if her body was a hundred years old. ¡°Hold on for a bit, even if you don¡¯t want to¡±, Riftan said. He began to rub every inch of her body for a long time in the bath, holding her tightly until the water began to cool. Max staggered as she tried to stand and leaned against Riftan. He wrapped her in a towel and made sure she was properly dried, before clumsily dressing her in her nightgown. ¡°Drink a little, even if you feel sick¡±, he said. He moved a cup towards her. Max opened her mouth and barely took a sip, yet when the tap water entered her taunt stomach, she felt inclined to throw up again. It would have been pointless to bathe if Riftan hadn¡¯t anticipated her gagging. Max looked at his messy hands in shock, but he wiped his hands on a towel casually and wiped the residue on her face. Tears of shame began roll down her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t cry¡±, Riftan whispered gently, as if he thought he was hurting her, and began kissing her forehead while Max continued to tremble and cry. When she felt a little better, she became aware that he had to be tired too; he had left on hisst venture to fight so many dangerous monsters. Max moved away slightly to face him and said. ¡°I-I¡¯m so-sorry to di-distract y-you. I-I¡¯m fine now. Y-you¡¯re busy.¡± Riftan¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°You may be fine, but I¡¯m not.¡± His voice shook slightly, as if he were withholding his emotions. ¡°Do you know how I felt when I saw you lying on the road? I thought you were dead.¡± His face contorted with pain. He rubbed his face roughly with one hand, trying to calm down, then he talked in a subdued voice. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry about useless things. Just sleep now.¡± He covered her eyes with his hand. As Max¡¯s vision blurred, her exhaustion took over her again and she began to fall back like a broken doll. Before she lost consciousness, she felt Riftan rubbing her cold feet with his hands, her stiff calves, and her neck, trying to give her more warmth. Max wanted this night to never end, but could not fight her exhaustion any longer. She soon fell asleep as if put under a spell. *** Max opened her eyes when she felt bright light shining over her eyelids. She looked around in confusion, still half-asleep, and soon realized that Riftan was still asleep beside her. This was different than her usual routine to wake up alone. Max paused. While he was asleep, he seemed so defenseless with his smooth, dark bed hair and his chest raising up and down slowly as he breathed. She looked at his long ck eyshes that left shadows over his cheekbones; his eyshes looked like the tips of a ck butterfly¡¯s wings. When she reached out to touch them, Riftan¡¯s eyes shed open. Shocked, Max pulled her hand away. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. To w-wake y-you up, I di-didn¡¯t mean.¡± Riftan blinked as if he were not fully awake before sitting up and stared at her. ¡°How are you feeling now? Sore?¡± ¡°I-I f-feel good now, t-thank you.¡± He rubbed her forehead and the back of her neck. Max¡¯s body was warmerpared tost night. ¡°Can you drink some water?¡± When Max nodded, Riftan held Max by her shoulders and lifted a cup against her mouth. She wet her dry lips with the tap water and sighed gratefully. ¡°Th-thank you.¡± ¡°You should eat, too. A weak broth at least. And¡­¡± He looked down at her naked breasts showing through the gap of her nightgown and paused for a moment. ¡°¡­ change of clothes, too¡±, he finished. Max blushed and quickly covered herself with the bedsheet. Riftan had seen her body many times, but when he stared at her that way, she felt embarrassed. He stared at her shy figure for another moment before getting out of bed and pulling on some pants. He rang the bell and instructed a maid to bring clothes and food for the Lady. Max sat with her back against the pillow, trying to untangle her messy hair. Her head throbbed and her limbs still shook a bit, but it was nowhere near as terrible as yesterday. Her shoulders rxed in relief, it had been a terrible experience. ¡°Lay down some more¡±, Riftan said. ¡°I-I r-rested a-lot.¡± She held the bedsheet tightly over her body as Riftan came closer and touched her arm. ¡°I told you to lie down.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m okay. R-really.¡± ¡°F*CK, I don¡¯t want you to say that you¡¯re okay anymore!¡± Max quailed from Riftan¡¯s sudden outburst and her shoulders drooped. He pushed her firmly by the shoulder to make hery down and rest. ¡°I¡¯m trying to hold my temper, don¡¯t test me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so-sorry. I d-didn¡¯t know m-magic w-would a-affect me l-like this.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m mad at you?¡± Riftan muttered softly. He gripped Max¡¯s shoulder firmly. ¡°Do you understand what almost happened? If I waste, you could have been permanently injured! At the worst, you may have died.¡± He clenched his teeth and stopped speaking.
Note ¨C LN: ¡­Let¡¯s just enjoy this chapter. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Trantor ¨C LN Proofreader ¨C Nymeria ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should strangle you or the idiots who let you exit the castle gates¡±, Riftan said. ¡°What were you thinking about going to that monster-infested area? Did you forget? I ordered you to stay away from danger.¡± ¡°B-but, I w-was alone in t-the c-castle. I s-should h-help o-outside as well.¡± ¡°Of course you should have stayed in the castle!¡± Riftan beat his fist against his chest. ¡°Why do you think I work from morning until night? Who do you think these city walls and castle were built for?!¡± His voice rose almost to a roar until he met Max¡¯s white, tired gaze and he closed his mouth. His shoulders shook fiercely as he tried to pent his emotions. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about leaving this room today¡±, he spat in a suppressed tone, as if someone were chocking him. He turned away from Max, picked up a shirt that had fallen to the floor and left, closing the door behind him. She kept her eyes on the closed door, confused. Riftan was often impatient and had a crass way of speaking, but this was the first time she had seen him this upset. Was he that shocked about her condition? Max began to worry. This was the second time he had gotten upset with her because she had fainted. Of course, he would be tired of her by now. Her heart was still racing from Riftan¡¯s outburst as she tried to calm her heartbeat, when someone knocked on the door. ¡°My Lady, I brought a change of clothes and your meal. May Ie in?¡± ¡°Ye-yes,e in.¡± After hearing Max¡¯s confirmation, Rudis entered the room with arge tray. ¡°I have brought some herbal soup for your health. How are you feeling, my Lady?¡± Max tried to smile when she saw she was worrying her maid. ¡°I-I¡¯m okay. Y-yesterday, I used m-more mana t-than I expected.¡± ¡°Your condition yesterday seemed severe¡±, the maid said carefully, before setting the tray by the bed. ¡°The Lord was very worried. When he left, he told me to treat you well, my Lady.¡± Max¡¯s tense shoulders rxed, and relief washed over her. She felt better knowing that he still didn¡¯t seem to bepletely uninterested in her. ¡°L-Lord Calypse, w-where did he go? Ye-yesterday and t-throughout the night, he b-barely rested to c-care for me. H-has he l-left the ca-castle again?¡± ¡°He has left to the training grounds, my Lady¡±, Rudis said kindly, spreading the outfit she brought on the bed. ¡°I am ready to dress you, at your convenience.¡± With her help, Max changed into a new and soft dress before returning to bed and partaking in a clear soup. While she was busy, the maid lit a fire in the firece and prepared some tea. Max peeked at her and began to ask some questions. ¡°Perhaps, do you k-know what h-happened to t-the other people?¡± ¡°Other people, my Lady?¡± ¡°B-because the monster s-suddenly appeared where t-there were a lot of injured people. T-there was chaos¡±, Max said. Her words were faint as she remembered people iling in the air with just a flutter of the monster¡¯s wings. Rudis saw her Lady white and tired face and talked measuredly. ¡°I am not quite sure about the details, my Lady. Should I inquire further?¡± ¡°Y-yes, please do¡±, she smiled nicely and nodded. ¡°While I¡¯m gone, the Lord has told me that you must stay in your room and rest.¡± Max nodded again. She wasn¡¯t sure she had the energy to leave the room anyway, even if Riftan hadn¡¯t said anything. Rudis transferred the kettle from the fire to the shelf before taking her leave. Max set her bowl of soup aside andid down to rest in the bed, recovering, until the maid knocked on the door a whileter. ¡°My Lady, the princess has requested an audience with you.¡± ¡°Oh, wait!¡± Max said, surprised. She rose quickly out of bed before getting dizzy and fell back. She was underdressed, wearing only a thin linen dress. She could not wee her Royal Highness in such simple attire, and yet, she couldn¡¯t deny an audience with Agnes either. Max moved again to stand in front of a mirror. She brushed her hair that had gone poof like a cloud and pressed a wet towel to reduce the swelling around her eyes. Her efforts didn¡¯t change her appearance much, but at least her hair had settled a bit. Max returned to bed. ¡°P-pleasee in.¡± The door opened and Agnes and Rudis entered the room. Max gazed at Agnes outfit, disheartened. The princess was in high spirits and wore an elegant blue dress that highlighted the curves of her body, her long blond hair was braided and swayed nicely as she walked. It was a stark contrast to the pants and bulky clothing she usually wore. ¡°Maximilian, how are you feeling?¡± Agnes said. ¡°I-I¡¯m okay, thank you. P-please forgive my a-attire. It is r-rude to greet you i-in this condition.¡± ¡°Etiquette is unimportant right now. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t request an audience with you earlier and came on a whim. I saw your maid questioning the guards about what happened yesterday and decided toe and exin the situation to you myself.¡± She sat in a chair Rudis had offered her and gave Max a half-smile. ¡°I also want to apologize.¡± ¡°S-sorry?¡± ¡°Yesterday, the soldiers and I had nned to corral the wyverns into the valley and pick them off one by one. If I had conjured the barrier properly, not a single wyvern would have escaped past the knights, who were trying to corner them. But there was a hole in my barrier¡­¡± Agnes sighed. She fretted and moved a strand of her hair away from her forehead. ¡°My mistake caused a mess for everyone and even got you, Maximillian, injured. I am really sorry.¡± Max was surprised that the princess was admitting her mistake. Agnes was the highest-ranking person currently at Calypse Castle, she did not have to apologize to anyone there and did not even have to assist them the day before. She quickly rose her hand to deny the princess¡¯ im. ¡°N-no. P-please don¡¯t a-apologize to me, Y-Your Majesty. E-even though y-you d-did not have to h-help, y-you fought at the f-front for Anatol. If you h-had not helped us at all y-yesterday¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for free¡±, Agnesughed with her trademark, easygoing smile. ¡°Yesterday, we caught twenty-three wyverns, twenty-three gemstones, monster bones, and skins. They even overpaid me for the little help I offered.¡± Max looked at her, dubiously. She didn¡¯t know the exact worth of all the materials that Agnes had listed, but understood they were of high value. ¡°However, because of my mistake, I will talk to Riftan to divvy the spoils. My conscience wouldn¡¯t let me do otherwise¡±, the princess said sadly. ¡°D-did a lot of people get hurt?¡± Max asked. ¡°Y-yesterday, how d-did the people fare?¡± Max didn¡¯t care much about the monsters¡¯ fate or the spoils of war, she only wanted to know what happened to the people she treated. Agnes saw her anxious look and seemed to choose her words carefully, then she talked slowly. ¡°Six people were critically injured, but received prompt treatment with healing magic and are now safe. The others had minor injuries. However¡­ two civilians got trapped under the wyvern while we fought the monster. By the time the fight was over, one of them had already ceased to breathe.¡± Despite the princess¡¯ calm brief, Max turned white from shock. Her back became cold as she took in the news that someone she had seen yesterday, someone who was in the same time and ce as her, was now dead. Did her healing magic save anybody? Max lowered her eyes and whispered softly. ¡°W-what I did o-out there was meaningless.¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Agnes wrapped her hand around her fingers and gave her a probing, distinct look. Max was surprised by how warm her hand felt against her cold fingers. ¡°Some of the people who survived the wyvern monster attack only survived because you, Maximilian, healed them with your magic. You were very brave.¡± ¡°N-no. I-it¡¯s nothing w-worth bringing up¡±, Max said, self-deprecating herself. Her eyes were still downcast. ¡°It w-wasn¡¯t just me w-who d-decided to help. A-and I had an o-obligation as the Wife of L-Lord Calypse. Although R-Riftan d-didn¡¯t l-like me out t-there.¡± ¡°It was more than just dislike. When he saw you on the ground, he almost turned insane. Dear God, to think that the Mahgo, the same one who didn¡¯t even blink twice in front of a real dragon, would act like that!¡± Max was annoyed with the princess¡¯s words. It seemed that what Riftan said about the princess getting on people¡¯s nerves was true. She muttered, a little resentful. ¡°Riftan w-was worried about me b-because he is a k-kind person. He k-knows my b-body is weak. My health is o-often not good.¡± For some reason, Agnes gripped her stomach and beganughing at her retort. ¡°Ah, of course. That guy is a kind person.¡± Tears formed under her eyes and she gasped for breath. Max was confused. She did not find the situation funny and grew angry, believing she was being ridiculed. The princess noticed her change in demeanor and collected herself. ¡°What I mean to say is, Maximilian, you did a great job out there. Don¡¯t worry about how Riftan took it. Once he calms down and thinks straight, he will be proud to have a brave and capable wife.¡± When she recalled Riftan¡¯s attitude, Max didn¡¯t think Agnes opinion was very convincing, but she did not disagree out loud with her. ¡°I see. T-thank you for telling me.¡± ¡°I mean this sincerely. Listen, didn¡¯t you only start to learn healing magic to prepare for an attack like that? Not many noblewomen would go that far.¡± Max¡¯s cheeks glowed with shame. She hadn¡¯t learned magic for such a noble cause as Agnes had thought, she had only been shrewd enough to believe that once Riftan grew tired of her, he might still keep her around if she was adept at magic, instead of throwing her away. She avoided the princess¡¯ gaze and said ufortably. ¡°I s-started learning m-magicst winter, b-but my skills are s-still not very good.¡± ¡°To heal seven critical patients in on day, considering you are a beginner, that is a great feat!¡± Agnes said casually. ¡°Maximilian, you may be a prodigy for healing magic.¡±
Trantor note ¨C LN: When Agnes says ¡°Maximilian¡± a lot, she is saying that in ce of ¡°Lady Calypse,¡± which insinuates that she wants to have a close rtionship with Max. Yay, best friends! Nymeria ¨C Still vibing with Agnes here B) Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Trantor ¨C LF Proofreader ¨C Nymeria ¡°Although, I can¡¯t reallypliment you for being reckless enough to let yourself run out of mana.¡± ¡°W-well, that was my first time healing such big wounds¡­ I-I didn¡¯t know how much mana would be consumed. When mana is depleted¡­ I didn¡¯t even know what was going to happen.¡± ¡°You learned from someone who is the incarnation of irresponsible, and it¡¯s unreasonable.¡± Suddenly, Princess Agnes¡¯ tone became bitter. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that man didn¡¯t bother to teach you the criticalities when using magic. I rmend that you switch to a reliable teacher as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Ruth¡­ is a good teacher. Even though he¡¯s busy, he tries all his best¡­ to teach me.¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t enough.¡± Max was trying to defend Ruth but soon bit her lip shut due to the princess¡¯ coldness. It appeared that Agnes¡¯ hostility against Ruth was worse than she thought. Max closed her mouth because she didn¡¯t want to have a pointless argument with Agnes, but assuming the silence was an affirmation, the princess spoke in a subtle tone. ¡°How abouting to the capital with Riftan? I will arrange for you to learn magic from a prominent wizard in the pce. If you¡¯re sincerely eager to learn and practice magic, it is crucial that you learn from a credible teacher.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m satisfied learning from Ruth. Also, Riftan l-leaving Anatol¡­ I don¡¯t s-see it happening.¡± ¡°If the Lady says she wants to live in the capital, I¡¯m sure he would change his mind. Please give it a thought. In Drakium, you will be able to live more luxuriously. Grand banquets are held daily in the pce and there are a lot of sights to see in the city. You will be able to freely socialize with otherdies.¡± Max looked up at her charming face with gloominess. The capital had to be overflowing withdies who were as beautiful and vivacious as the princess. Her husband might soon find her a bore if they lived amongst gorgeous people, standing out like peacocks. But even without such worries, Max wasn¡¯t even remotely interested to the life in the capital, so she spoke with utmost resolution. ¡°Although I¡¯m thankful for your o-offer¡­ I am c-content with my life here.¡± As if trying to persuade Max, the princess smacked her lips and sighed deeply. ¡°I see, both stubborn as oxen.¡± ¡°Princess Agnes¡­ do you want to b-bring Riftan along with you t-to the capital?¡± ¡°My father wants to keep Riftan close by. He intends to increase the unity within Whedon by showing to the nobles that he is loyal to the royal family. If the nobles see that a powerful knight follows the king, the loyalty of the lords to the royal family will strengthen.¡± The princess suddenly casted a bitter smile. ¡°That¡¯s the reason why they tried to force me and Riftan to marry. The king fears that Riftan will betray Whedon and escape to Libadon or Osyria, since rulers all over thend want to covet the strongest knight.¡± ¡°Riftan¡­ cherishes Anatol. Thisnd¡­ he has n-no intentions of a-abandoning it.¡± Max urgently spoke, surprised that the royal family had such deep suspicions about Riftan¡¯s loyalty. The princess shrugged lightly, and gently agreed. ¡°I think so too. I saw how Riftan gambled his life and death bringing Anatol back to life. If he had any intention to move to a different kingdom, he wouldn¡¯t make such efforts. If anyone told the king about this, he will be surely relieved.¡± Max carefully looked at Agnes¡¯ face, then spoke. ¡°Your majesty¡­ are you here t-to spy on Riftan?¡± Instead of answering, the princess smiled vaguely, but that alone was enough to answer Max¡¯s question. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you for so long¡­ it looks like I confused you. I should get going now.¡± She got up from her chair and smiled softly. ¡°You have to take enough rest for a day or two for you to recover your depleted mana. I wish you get well soon.¡± ¡°T-Thank you.¡± For the first time, Agnes¡¯ cold blue eyes sparkled withpassion. The princess momentarily gazed gently at her and then turned around to leave the room. Max lied down on the bed, exhausted. *** It seemed that Max had forgotten how to sleep. She barely opened her eyes and looked around, the sun was going down and a dim shade hovered over the room. Max rubbed her stiff eyes and sat up. Although she slept for a long time, her head was hazy and she felt lethargic. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Suddenly, a voice spoke from a distance; Max turned her head, startled. Riftan was seating in front of the firece with his long legs stretched out. ¡°W-when did youe b-back? I heard you went t-to patrol¡­¡± ¡°I came back right away once I received the reports on the ident from the knights. I thought that you need someone to watch over you.¡± He muttered darkly in the dark and gently touched the cat¡¯s back sitting on hisp. ¡°I couldn¡¯t function properly because I was anxiously thinking whether you were sleeping soundly on the bed or not.¡± ¡°I was j-just in the bedroom¡­¡± ¡°I know. I kept watching.¡± Max rolled her eyes at Riftan¡¯s blunt response. For how long had he looked at her? Riftan definitely needed a break just as much as her. She looked at his face worried as he walked in front of the firece and ced the cats clinging onto him into the basket. ¡°You must be starving because you couldn¡¯t eat properly and slept for a long time. I¡¯ve warmed up the soup, can you eat?¡± ¡°I think I can eat a l-little¡± Riftan grabbed thedle and stirred the soup inside the pot, took a scoop and poured it into a wooden bowl. ¡°It¡¯s hot, be careful.¡± Max took the bowl and mixed the clear soup with a spoon. It was a thin soup made with finely chopped herbs, barley and eggs. She blew the misty steaming from it, scooped it with a wooden spoon and ced it in her mouth. As the hot, adequately salted soup dripped down her throat, her stomach rumbled, as if eager for that moment. Only then she felt how extremely starved she was and pushed the food into her mouth. Riftan, who was sitting on the bed looking at her, sighed with relief. ¡°Seeing that your appetite has returned, you really must be feeling well now.¡± ¡°I k-keep saying I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Whether you feel well or not, you say that you are.¡± He replied coldly, walking back to the firece and hanging a small kettle over the fire. Max held her spoon and nced at him cautiously. Was he relieved? He looked calmer than when he left the room, but he still looked nervous. Riftan, who was staring at the me with thoughtful eyes, suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°I heard that Agnes stopped by to see you earlier¡­ Did she say anything weird? ¡°She didn¡¯t s-say much. Just this and that¡­¡± Max said that their conversation was nothing important, wondering if she could tell him that Agnes had suggested going to the capital and that she refused. He looked at her with a puzzled face. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yesterday t-the princess said that b-because there was a whole in the barrier t-the camp was attacked a-as the monster escaped¡­ S-she seems to feel at fault. She said t-that I was in danger b-because of her¡­ and she a-apologized to me. ¡°¡­ Right.¡± After that, an unfamiliar silence clouded them. Max became restless and looked at Riftan¡¯s eyes. She couldn¡¯t figure out what to do with her husband who was obviously mad at her. Usually, when her father was in a bad mood, she used to hold her breath and keep out of his sight as much as possible. She was aware that if she had said anything, it would only fuel his anger. However, her husband silence made her feel worse as it went on. Riftan, staring at the firece with a hardened face, spat out in a subdued tone. ¡°Maxi, such thing should not happen ever again.¡± At his low-pitched voice, her shoulder shrunk. She didn¡¯t need to ask him for rification to understand what he meant with ¡°such thing¡±. As Riftan poked the firewood with a rod, he slowly turned his head and looked at her intensely. ¡°I know you¡¯re just trying to fulfill your responsibilities as my wife, but this ce is different from the Croix duchy. There are countless monsters loitering Anatol¡¯s territory and I don¡¯t know where or what dangers lurk. Did you hear about the people who died on the chaos that happened?¡± She stiffly nodded. For a moment, there was a strange hesitation that lingered in Riftan¡¯s eyes, but he spoke sharply, as if shaking it off. ¡°It could have been you.¡± Max¡¯s stomach turned cold, and the hair at the back of her neck stood. If Yulysion didn¡¯t immediately push her out of the way when the monster flew, she could have been fatally injured. When she couldn¡¯t deny the fact of Riftan¡¯s words, he spoke a in a tone that was slightly harsher. ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re doing. You used your healing magic to your body¡¯s limit. If only I knew that it would get to that point, I would have contradicted you when you said you were learning magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s b-because I¡¯m s-still inexperienced. From now on¡­ I¡¯ll be caref-¡° ¡°There won¡¯t be next time.¡± Riftan dered icily. Max looked up at him with confusion. ¡°A-anything I wanted¡­ You said I could d-do anything I wanted.¡± ¡°That¡¯s as long as what you¡¯re doing doesn¡¯t put you in danger!¡± As if Riftan had lost all his patience, he stepped over to the bedside and fiercely cried out. ¡°You are my wife. It¡¯s my duty to keep you safe and protect you. I can¡¯t stand it when you¡¯re in danger. I can¡¯t bear it when you struggle or suffer. The same thing can¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Then w-what should I do? You fight d-dangerous battles¡­ W-what do I do when you¡¯re amid all k-kinds of hardship¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything.¡± Riftan shook her body and sped her face with his hands. ¡°I keep telling you that I don¡¯t want anything. Taking care of Calypse castle or overseeing the wellness of this house, that alone is more than enough to me.¡± Max wanted so bad to violently oppose, but she couldn¡¯t find the words to say, she only trembled pathetically. She did those things because she wanted to help Riftan, she wanted to be someone useful, so she put all her strength into improving herself. However, he didn¡¯t need any help from her, and it was difficult for her to ept that fact. As she kept her mouth shut, Riftan turned her face to him and muttered, begging. ¡°Please¡­ Don¡¯t make me worry.¡± Max was crying, devastated. How could she reply? To the man who lost his sanity worrying for her, she couldn¡¯t stand being stubborn and nodded weakly. Riftan pulled her and tightly embraced her. She leaned on his shoulder and her voice came out from her throat that felt rigidly locked. ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry for w-worrying you.¡± A moist, hot sigh flowed down her neck. She slowly closed her eyes as she felt Riftan¡¯srge hand cradle her head. She didn¡¯t know why, but the warm, strong arms that once provided her exceedingfort, now felt suffocating.
Note ¨C LF: It¡¯s because Riftan has made her world so small in the effort of protecting her T.T I know Riftan loved Maxi to death, only if Maxi knew. But still, she has been living in a small world ever since, she needs to have her own will. Nymeria: Ugh my heart is crying, I understand why he feels so anxious about her being in danger, but as LF said she now needs more freedom! Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Trantor ¨C LF Proofreader ¨C Nymeria Max had to stay locked up in the bedroom until her body had recoveredpletely. Because of how great Riftan¡¯s restlessness was, even when she left the room to see her business she had a row of nervous servants to attend her. Even after her mana hadpletely recovered and her dizziness subsided, Riftan couldn¡¯t ease up. Thanks to that, Max had the time to postpone her duties of hospitality to the guests and train the cats in her room instead. ¡°Ron is the b-best skilled.¡± She murmured dryly, waving a mouse-shaped doll that Rudis made for the cats. Just over the course of a few weeks the gray cat, which swung its front legs vigorously to snatch the doll, grew unnoticedly. Roy was being un-cat like, acting cute on top of Max¡¯s knees while Laura, the white cat, which as unbothered as a queen seemed disinterested with such a childish toy, licking the soles of her feet from a distance. So far, Max had observed that Laura was a grim and savvy cat, and she showed no interest to anyone aside from Riftan. While Max was stuck in her bedroom, she tried tirelessly to get Laura¡¯s attention but to no avail, the cat didn¡¯t even pay any attention to her. ¡°Ron will be a great mouse-hunter. He is thergest, most curious, and belligerent cat. Roy is too meek, while Laura doesn¡¯t do anything to avoid staining, getting her white fur dirty. The chef told me that these two guys are gluttons and have to fix their eating habits.¡± ¡°Y-you mustn¡¯t. They¡¯re still young¡­ w-when they grow up, they will b-be useful too.¡± She hugged the cats to her chest as if to protect them. Max knew that it was natural for animals to be thrown out if they couldn¡¯t pay back the food their consuming, but she hated it when animals were treated harshly during her childhood. She felt that she had no power to do anything about it and that she was no different from the useless livestock. Seeing Max¡¯s determined expression, Rudis talked with a gentle smile. ¡°Even if you wanted to do as the chef said, it¡¯s impossible for them to get hungry. The maids secretly take turns feeding them snacks and even the drivers throw them food when the cats sneak under the table. Just look at how chubby they are.¡± Rudis grabbed Ron¡¯s forearms and lifted him up. Max sighed lightly as the cat¡¯s small, supple, and soft body stretched out like a flour dough. ¡°Is it a-already okay for them to leave the castle and w-walk around? They¡¯re still so small¡­¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem, we¡¯ll just let them in the kitchen or the bedrooms. Everyone will watch over them.¡± Max waved the mouse doll at the cats, looking down at their cute little faces that showed how they were satisfied and rxed. While caressing their soft fur, she felt a slightfort for her boredom and gloomy heart. ¡°Shall I prepare you a meal soon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a-already time to eat?¡± Max looked at the window, the sun was floating in the middle of the sky. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry y-yet.¡± ¡°The lord instructed me to make sure that you eat all meals of the day.¡± Rudis firmly stated, cing the rebellious, grunting cats into a deep basket. Max sighed. To Riftan, she was perfectly stigmatized as a woman as weak as a chick. He was a man unusually overprotective, but recently he had grown almost paranoid about taking care of her. Even when she was sitting on the bed while reading a book, Riftan would worry about her getting a papercut or her arms getting a cramp from holding the book for too long. Max had already grown a little tired from the frustration that came from his pesky worries. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it, but¡­ Perhaps because Max grew up in an environment where she was treated harshly for over 20 years, she was notfortable with Riftan¡¯s excessive attention. She was happy to be pampered lightly but being treated like an infant who couldn¡¯t even put food inside her mouth, it was sickening. ¡°Kindly wait for a while, I will bring your meal from the kitchen.¡± ¡°Then¡­ please.¡± Max got up and sat down on the table when Rudis left, hoisting the basket with the cats to prevent them from destroying expensive rugs or furniture. On the table there were half-burned candles, fruit bowls, and magic books piled haphazardly. While waiting for her meal, she scanned a few pages of a book hoping to read something, but she grew tired of it and closed the pages. After realizing that Riftan had no intention of letting her do anything but be the hostess of the castle, she had lost all the motivation to study healing magic. She propped her chin against her palm and sighed. Outside the castle, the road construction was in full swing, the guests were busy exploring the estate, and yet there she was, stuck in a room and lounging, thinking about her old days. Back in Croix Castle she used to be locked in a room too, out of everyone¡¯s sight. On the days she got to wander around and some guests happened to see her, her father¡­ ¡°Maximillian, it¡¯s me. Can you talk for a moment?¡± A voice interrupted her thoughts and Max rose from her seat in surprise. A woman hurriedly opened the door and entered the room. Princess Agnes stood in a white dress, alone, without any attendants. She smiled at Max apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry toe here so suddenly, but I seldom have a chance to see your face.¡± Max blushed in embarrassment. Hosting dinners for guestsing from farawaynds and ensuring theirfort were the hostess¡¯s critical tasks. Not showing your face to dinner for a few days was considered poor hosting and neglecting the guests, ¡°I-I apologize for neglecting my duty. F-for my body to recover¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you still haven¡¯t restored your depleted mana?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m fine n-now. Riftan¡¯s just very worried¡­¡± As the words spilled out of her mouth, the princess¡¯ forehead creased and sighed. ¡°Just as I thought. When ites to Maximillian, Riftan acts impossibly uptight. Staying in the room too much is not good for your health either. You have to move around to revitalize your body, am I right?¡± She sneaked closer to her with a yful smile. ¡°In that sense, why don¡¯t you go out with me today?¡± ¡°G-go out?¡± ¡°It looks like the spring festival in the vige is going to start today. I heard about it when I went to the market the other day.¡± The princess took a couple steps back and spun around gracefully. Max¡¯s eyes widened as her hem and twisted blue belt fluttered. Only then that she remembered about the festival. ¡°Do you still have the belt that I bought for you?¡± ¡°I-I have it. But¡­¡± Max murmurs shyly. ¡°Riftan w-won¡¯t let me¡­ go outside of the castle.¡± ¡°If you have the proper escort, there will be no problem on that.¡± The princess spoke confidently, but Max, who had been gued by Riftan¡¯s peculiar anxieties, was skeptical. ¡°Thank you for your i-invitation. However, without my husband¡¯s permission¡­¡± Max trailed off, unsure if the princess who had travelled across continents would understand her situation. Princess Agnes wore a serious expression. ¡°Fine. I will be the one to ask permission for you. Unless you hate the idea of going to the festival?¡± Max hesitated for a moment and then shook her head slowly. Honestly, she was curious about the spring festival. As if the princess could see right through her feelings, her blue eyes shone vividly and she grabbed Max by the arm. ¡°Then get ready, I¡¯ll take care of the talking so you won¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡± It was embarrassing that the princess¡¯ attitude towards her was like how one would treat a younger sibling, but Max didn¡¯t say anything and changed into a white dress, tying the red belt made of twisted cloth around her waist. Finally, as she stepped out of the room, the princess held her hand and strode alongside her through the hallway. ¡°Riftan will surely be at the training ground since I heard that he wasn¡¯t supposed to visit the construction site today.¡± ¡°W-will it be okay?¡± ¡°After cleanly ughtering the wyvern herd, no monsters have approached the site. There¡¯s a possibility that monsters will approach the area to plunder the workers but Ruth has installed a monster detection magic on the field so any attack will be foreseen.¡± As if it was hard for her to admit, the princess spoke with twisted lips. ¡°He is sloppy, but he¡¯s excellent with crafting magic tools. If he says it works, it really does. Because of that, Riftan doesn¡¯t need to guard the site all day.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s good news.¡± Max finally smiled brightly after a long time. She was relieved that she didn¡¯t have to worry about Riftan going out of the territory. The princess lead them straight to the training grounds. Contrary to what she was expecting, it was empty; no intense drills were going on like the usual. As Max looked around with curiosity, the princess exined that she forgot that the training hours had changed since the knights had to rotate in order to supervise the site. Max smiled bitterly at the fact that she, who was the wife of the Lord, knew less than a guest, the princess knew better about the schedule of the Remdragon knights than her. ¡°Everyone is probably in the conference room now.¡± The princess greeted the guards lightly and stepped into the knight¡¯s quarters which was next to the training ground. Max caught up to her closely, she had never stepped foot in this area, despite living in Anatol for several months. Her heart pounded, feeling as if she was entering a forbidden ce. ¡°You¡¯ll excuse me.¡± Without any hesitation, the princess opened the doors to the conference room and entered. Max held out her head and peeked inside. In a gloomy room lined with wooden chairs, tables, spears, helmets, and armor, Riftan and five other knights were gathered, discussing some matter. Their gazes shifted instantly to Max and Agnes. ¡°What brings you here? You said you wanted to take a rxing break today.¡± Riftan talked in a way that clearly showed that the princess was being a nuisance. Not yielding to Riftan¡¯s heartless attitude, she simply shrugged her shoulders and stepped forward to face him. ¡°I came because I have a matter to discuss. I want to take Maximillian with me to go out and see the spring festival, would that be okay?¡± Riftan¡¯s dark face quickly hardened and showed a cold expression. He looked back and forth at Agnes, then at Max, who was standing behind her and looked away sharply, like there was no room for a chance. ¡°My wife has only recently recovered. I¡¯ll ask someone to escort you, so go by yourself.¡± ¡°Your wife looks very healthy to me. Isn¡¯t she?¡± The princess squinted her eyes at Riftan and then looked at Max, the eyes of all the people who were in the conference room flew towards her in unison.
Note ¨C Nymeria: When Agnesplimented Ruth I totally felt like a proud mum, God I love him so much lmao Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Note ¨C Nymeria: Since some of you struggle with names, a quick reminder! In this chapter you¡¯ll see Sir Gabel, Sir Hebaron Nirta and Sir Elliot Caron ?? Max stood up properly and fixed her posture. As the princess said, her health waspletely restored and was in perfect health. She had a goodplexion, a reddish tint on her cheeks, and her face had gotten plumper. However, anxiety was still written all over Riftan¡¯s eyes when he looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that she still needs to rest. Moreover, there are a lot of visitors right now in Anatol which makes the security unstable. Sending my wife, who hasn¡¯t fully recovered her health, to a dangerous ce¡­¡± ¡°Dear Sir Calypse. I¡¯m not saying that we are going to a battlefield. What I¡¯m saying is that we are only going to a fun spring festival with innocent country girls. Do you know that worrying too much can make you sick?¡± The princess interrupted his words and retaliated bitterly, ring at him with fierce blue eyes. Riftan darkly red back at her, unfazed. Even the knights shed a cold sweat witnessing such authoritarian gazes, but the princess didn¡¯t blink an eye and even snorted at his words. ¡°You can¡¯t intimidate me. If you¡¯re really worried, then go to the festival with us.¡± ¡°Spending so much time on such useless events¡­!¡± Riftan, who started shouting, immediately bit his mouth when he saw Max¡¯s defeated face. She quickly rearranged her expression. ¡°I d-don¡¯t mean to be a bother to you, Riftan¡­ I¡¯m oka-¡± She habitually tried to say that she was fine, but suddenly remembered that he hated it when she said that and bit her tongue. When the awkward silence subsided, the princess, imposing high pressure, folded her arms in front of her chest and red at Riftan; even the knights who were silently sitting red at him. ¡°Can you not be like that and give us permission? There¡¯s nothing wrong with going to the vige spring festival.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Your wife has every right to enjoy Anatol¡¯s festivals to her heart¡¯s content. If you try to tie her up too much, she¡¯ll hate you, Captain.¡± As Hebaron and Gabel tried to convince him, Riftan scowled at them. The knights shrugged heavily and shut their mouth. Riftan, who was silent for a long time with a disgruntled expression, finally got up from his seat with a sigh. ¡°Fine. Prepare the carriage. I will go with you.¡± He said reluctantly, then he squinted his eyes at Max and clicked his tongue. ¡°However, if you show any sign of exhaustion, I¡¯m taking you back to the castle right away.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­!¡± Max nodded, her face lighting up with joy. She was guilty of taking his time while he was busy, but she couldn¡¯t hide the fact that she was happy he was about to go out with her. When Riftan started picking up his things, Hebaron cleared his throat and approached him. ¡°I wille with you. The more escorts, the better.¡± ¡°Sir Nirta is only interested in seeing the vige girls.¡± Out of nowhere, Gabel stepped in front of him. ¡°Please bring me with you this time. I¡¯ll be chivalrous and keep the spirits of the innocent virgins high at the Spring Festival.¡± ¡°Man, this jerk is no better than me¡­¡± ¡°Elliot,e with me.¡± Riftan cut off their bickering at once. ¡°Don¡¯t even let those two guys near the vige. I don¡¯t want to see Anatol¡¯s women holding illegitimate children knocking on the gates.¡± ¡°Captain!¡± He ignored theins and walked out of the conference room, his arm around Max¡¯s shoulders. The princess merely shrugged her shoulders and followed them. *** They headed for the vige riding a modest carriage in an effort to avoid unnecessary attention from the people. Riftan and Sir Caron wore hooded robes with minimal ornament and dressed as casual as possible, while Max and Agnes wore dark colored cloaks over their white dresses. However, when they reached the town square, upon noticing that there were more vige women than they had expected, the princess thew off her cloak right away. ¡°Even without the cloak, it doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯ll stand out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to disguise ourselves for safety.¡± ¡°Wearing this robe will only make us look more suspicious.¡± As she spoke bluntly, she let loose her shimmering blonde hair. ¡°Everyone¡¯s dressed for the asion, we can¡¯t be the only ones dressed like this, right? Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ that¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, take yours off too, Maximilian. Don¡¯t miss the opportunity to unt yourself.¡± As she pulled on the hem, Max took off her stuffy cloak, pretending to be defeated. Riftan, who had been sitting stiffly with a disgruntled face throughout the entire journey, started to open his lips, and then dropped the tense on his shoulder, as if he had lost energy. ¡°¡­ Do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Are you going to do whatever you want?¡± The princess replied sarcastically, while removing the cape from Max, who was trying to put it back on. Riftan frowned, but the princess wore an innocent expression and ignored his re. Sir Caron, on the other hand, looked out at a distance to the window, not wanting to intervene in their g fight. Max who was stuck between them, pretended to stretch out the pleats of her skirt. After a long time, the carriage halted, and Max released a sigh of relief. The air felt tight and cramped in the carriage. ¡°This spot is quite far from the square where the center of the festival is.¡± The princess mumbled as she was escorted by Sir Caron, whilst descending from the carriage. Elliot replied with a gentle smile. ¡°The square is a little cramped because there are a lot of festival booths installed. Besides, isn¡¯t spring best enjoyed on fields where there¡¯s grass?¡± Max followed the princess and got off the carriage, scanning the area with a curious gaze. Tents of various colors were erected at regr intervals in a wide field that shimmered in blue. People were doing business with their seats spread out, sitting around tables ying card games, enjoying alcohol, and eating food in street restaurants. ¡°Go and have a drink or something.¡± Riftan tossed a coin at the coachman. Max, whose head was busy turning side to side scanning the area with curiosity, was pulled by Riftan possessively to his side. The elderly coachman took off his hat, bowed gratefully, and drove the carriage to shelter. It seemed that there were a lot of visitors who brought carriages, and there were several wagons packed at the back of the tent. ¡°It seems that there are more tourists this year.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of the reputation of the Remdragon Knights? Obviously, more and more travelers are growing curious about thend protected by the world¡¯s mightiest knights.¡± The princess wore a proud expression. Max listened to their conversation and watched the lively festival scene. It seemed that more people were gathered than the time she had visited the market with the princess. There were shabby-dressed men who appeared to be tourists, bards performing with their hats off, youngdies who were there to join the festival, various alcohol and food for sale, and some guards who patrolled for safety. ¡°Maximillian, there it is!¡± The princess suddenly pulled Max who was overwhelmed by the festival. Max followed as they ran towards a tent. Young girls were selling gands beside a stage decorated with colored gs. ¡°Everyone is wearing a flower crown, so I thought they had to be selling them somewhere.¡± The princess bought two and put one for herself and ced one on Max¡¯s head. Max touched it with a quaint expression. The prickly stalks, tangled with her wavy hair, felt ominous, but she couldn¡¯t refuse the favor. She smiled awkwardly with gratitude and the princess turned away with satisfaction. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this just make us feel like dryads? Right?¡± ¡°It¡­r-really looks good on you.¡± ¡°You, Maximillian, looks really lovely too.¡± Sheplimented with joy and pulled Max¡¯s hand back. ¡°Now, let¡¯s got to the tent over there and y a card game.¡± ¡°Stop wandering around.¡± Riftan who had been tailing them closely, blocked the path in front of the princess. As he pulled Max back into his arms, he gritted his teeth threateningly. ¡°My wife isn¡¯t your maid that you can just drag anywhere you want. If you need something to drag around with you, then bring a fucking dog!¡± ¡°Oh my, my, my. You¡¯re really rude with your words, aren¡¯t you?¡± Princess Agnes pouted and Max¡¯s face turned blue. The princess didn¡¯t exactly say that she doubted Riftan¡¯s loyalty, but she was still part of the royal family. If the princess got offended and told King Ruben anything negative about him, that might the spark for a disaster. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­! What a disrespectful way to talk to her highness!¡± ¡°Yes, right! He¡¯s rude!¡± Max grew paler in front of the princess. ¡°You can¡¯t speak that way¡­t-to ady. You¡¯re a knight. You have to be polite.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right!¡± Riftan looked down at Max with a confused face and sent death res to the princess. Agnes grabbed Max¡¯s hand without batting a single eye, but with a sullen smile. ¡°We came out to y so let¡¯s leave the colic, unscrupulous man and enjoy the festival to our heart¡¯s content. They should quietly stand back and watch us rx and enjoy.¡± Max nced back at Riftan with anxious nces and followed the princess, pretending to be defeated. Honestly, she also wanted to freely enjoy the festival and the princess¡¯ stubborn attitude didn¡¯t bother her either. Unlike her who always lingered and hesitated, the princess seemed to be someone that had to run and satisfy her curiosity. When she wanted to see something that looked new or strange, the princess grabbed her hand and ran without hesitation, and Max actively participated in all kinds of games. Getting caught in the passionate momentum, she also began to enjoy the festival to her heart¡¯s content. Even her anxious thoughts seemed to have been blown away amongst the noisy, festive, atmosphere. Note ¨C Nymeria: Riftan saying that he didn¡¯t want Hebaron and Gabel¡¯s illegitimate child around the town made meugh so hard! And ngl, this chapter Agnes sent some gay vibes! Ahah Chapter 158 For the first time in her life, Max gambled by ying dice. She mixed in with the crowds to watch a street performance, tried beer that had a musty odor and tasted a pie which had a beef-tasting filling. When her stomach was filled with these exotic peasant foods, Max was egged by Agnes to participate in a javelin toss. Agnes threw a javelin to demonstrate as she exined nicely to Max. ¡°You have to hold the back part of the javelin to toss far. Hold it here and angle it properly for the right projectile before you release.¡± Max stumbled onto the tform and swallowed, Riftan was watching her from a distance with his arms folded. She hoped that if she performed well with the javelin, he would trust her ability and worry less about her. Max threw the javelin with a determined look on her face, and yet, instead of reaching the g, the javelin bounced off the floor in less than five cubits* (1.5 meters) from her feet. Her face turned hot. Even the twelve-year-old boy who yed before her had done better. ¡°Miss, you need to aim your pole upward!¡± a scraggly-bearded spectatorughed. He handed her the javelin again. Max was still embarrassed. She wanted to run away from the tform, but knew that if she fled, the crowd would onlyugh harder. She closed her eyes and threw the javelin again. This time, it sailed in a high arc and passed by the second g finely. Max looked back to get Riftan¡¯s attention, but her excitement quickly left her. Two women in mboyant, typical Romani clothes were writhing their bodies around Riftan and Knight Karon in a curious way. As one of the two Romani moved closer to Riftan, Max felt her insides boil. She went down from the game tform and rushed to his side in a cold fury. ¡°Ri-Riftan!¡± she yelled. He had an annoyed look on his face from garnering the strangers¡¯ attention and he was still standing with his arms folded, but he was now looking heavenward above everyone¡¯s heads. At Max¡¯s call, four pairs of eyes met hers at once. Although she was briefly intimidated, she soon wedged herself between Riftan and the Romanis. She gave a strict look at the women. ¡°Wh-why are you ap-approaching my husband?¡± ¡°Omo, omo! Did husband and wife go together to the festival?¡± The two Romanis pped their hands andughed without fear, they had a strong smell of alcohol about them. Max frowned and stepped back. The women began circling her slowly, grinning yfully, like cats preying on a fish. ¡°I envy you. To have such a handsome man as your husband¡±, one said. ¡°Hmmm, can you share? Just lend him to us for a little bit¡±, added the other. Their impudence made Max blush. She had been taught that alldies had to be modest, so she was baffled at how those strange women could get drunk in public and approach a married man like that. The devilish prostitutes then tried to catch the dragonyer¡¯s attention, the same one who could not usually be sidetracked. Max clung to Riftan¡¯s arm. ¡°No, I can¡¯t share him!¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that, let us borrow him for a little while.¡± ¡°A-absolutely not. Not even for a little bit!¡± Max cried, trying to catch Riftan¡¯s eye. She wanted him to be on her side. Riftan, who had been still as a rock, moved his eyes in a frenzy and passed a hand roughly over the side of his face. His neck, which was usually a crisp copper color from being sunburned, was now turning red. ¡°Er, yeah¡±, he muttered, looking away from everyone. He struggled to find something else to say. ¡°She says¡­ you can¡¯t borrow me.¡± It was such an odd statement that Max stared at him in disbelief. Suddenly, someoneughed out of nowhere. ¡°Huhuhu!¡± Agnesughed nonsensically. ¡°No one¡¯s going to believe this. That the Mahgo could say something this stupid¡­¡± The princess, who had pursued Max, grabbed her sides and keptughing loudly. Through her blurry tears, she made eye contact with the drunk Romanis. ¡°Huhg! I wanted to enjoy a good man, but it looks like this one has two women¡±, one of them said, breaking eye contact with Agnes. She shrugged and coolly stepped back, as if the game wasn¡¯t fun anymore. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do, sister. Let¡¯s go over there and enjoy some more drinks¡±, the other said. The Romanis sighed from discontent and waved their arms before turning away. ¡°It was nice to meet you all¡±, they chimed. ¡°If any of you men change your mind and want to have some fun, we¡¯re staying at the Reddin Inn.¡± They left smoothly with their bums moving, as if they were cats wagging their tails in the wind. Max squinted at their retreating backs. How dare these women try to seduce a married man so impudently? Agnes, who still somehow exuded the cocky demeanor of a princess while doubled overughing, approached Max. Her shoulders were still hunched as she tried to catch her breath. ¡°It¡¯s not umon for women like that to approach Riftan. Strong men are popr these days.¡± Agnes wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled Riftan¡¯s hood over his head. ¡°You¡¯re the one who needs to cover your face, not me or your wife. You¡¯ve made Maximilian jealous, Riftan.¡± ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡± Riftan shouted and turned to look at Max. ¡°I was telling them to shove off, but they were more stubborn than I thought.¡± Max returned his look, doubting him. ¡°It¡¯s true, I was telling them to leave!¡± His expression seemed to be half-embarrassed and half-joyful. She raised her eyebrows, studying his face. When she saw the corner of Riftan¡¯s mouth lift upward, she grew angry and pulled on Agnes¡¯ arm. ¡°W-we should just enjoy this f-festival. And Riftan, you c-can do whatever you want.¡± Before he could reply, she rushed off with the princess. Agnes giggled before following in-stride. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, Maximilian. Let¡¯s have fun, just the two of us.¡± The women ran like the wind, leaving Riftan and Sir Karon to dwell on their humiliation. They headed to the green field where music was ying. Young women adorned with the traditional Uigru fabrics tied around their waists were dancing on the plush, green hill. Without missing a beat, Agnes took Max¡¯s hand to join in. ¡°We¡¯re dancing too!¡± Max fell in and was swept away by the other women who danced around her. They spun around and around, hand-in-hand; Agnes, peasants, and noblewoman alike. The dance consisted more of jumping than your typical waltz, but the moves were fun and natural to dance to. All thedies seemed to dance from pure joy to the sound of the music. Without much thought, Max followed the group along the hill to a field. The melody began to be grow more fast-paced and slightly unrefined, unlike the soft, elegant music present at Croix Castle. The lively, traditional beating of the drums, the soft echoes of the lute, and the whistling sound of the pipes blended to create a lovely melody. It sounded like thick reeds blowing in the woods. Thedies¡¯ footwork began to speed in time to the music, as the notes echoed in the sky. Max felt the soft yet rough melody go through her body and felt joy from dancing for the first time in her life. The womenughed when the tambourine began to y. Even the bystanders started to tap their feet strongly in time to the beat. Someone began to sing nicely along to the lute: And so, the knight picked up the broken body As the spirit flew away The oak tree spirit that he loved Only he remained alone on the hill The wind shaking the gentle branches of the oak tree Beside him Darling, when the snow melts And the season changes New leaves will sprout from my body And I will sing a song for you Ah, the wind is my voice That I hope will ry to you It was a song strangely familiar to Max. Perhaps because it was about the story she had heard before, about the legendary Sir Uigru and the dryad who loved him. The maidens with the traditional fabrics around their waists sang along to the sad lyrics. It was a stark contrast to the yful melody the instruments continued to y. It all sounded so odd together, that Max began tough out loud until her body shook and she felt dizzy. She had never rememberedughing so hard like that. Her heart strummed quickly to the drumbeat, and her blood seemed to flow through her veins more quickly throughout her body, all the way to her fingertips. She felt free. Had it always been this pleasant to stand under the sun and move freely just for the fun of it? ¡°Maxi.¡± Someone grabbed her arm. She looked up only to see Riftan with his hood over his forehead. He was staring at her with burning eyes and Max suddenly felt aroused to see his desire showing on his taut face. He led her out of the crowd while Agnes, who was still dancing with the other maidens and enjoying the festival activities, did not even look their way. Max began to breathe raggedly as she kept up with Riftan. The music and voices of the festival participants were fading behind them. He held her by the waist and looked around them urgently, as if trying to find a seclusive spot. She felt his enthusiasm vibrating, as he leaned her body against hers. Max began to heat up, suddenly thinking of his touch or a kiss. This was all a new experience for her. Even her slight anger towards him seemed to fuel her passion. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­¡± ¡°Here.¡± He pulled her into a densely covered area and kissed her roughly, as if he could not hold back anymore. His hot breath swept over Max¡¯s lips as he pushed his tongue in. It wasn¡¯t enough. Max began to desire him more, as if she were drinking him in, but only tasting salt water. Riftan groaned as she reciprocated his lust and pushed her against a tree. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her back against the rough bark. Their moist lips ovepped again, and his hot, soft tongue began to eagerly explore her mouth. Max groaned andid her hand by Riftan¡¯s corbone, feeling his pulse from the neck. His soft tongue, which was the only soft part of the man, continued to pursue hers, as if searching to taste all of her sensitive parts. Max was feeling dizzy from her inability to breathe. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­¡± she said again. Her lungs were swelling up as if desperate to explode. He pulled her up by her thighs and Max felt his touch over her thin dress. She shuddered as her legs wrapped against his hard body. It was hard to believe they were acting like that in public while close by, the festival was still going on. Have I lost it? Max caressed Riftan¡¯s chest and shoulders, then grabbed his clothes and pulled him closer. Riftan reacted like a hungry dog, dribbling kisses along her neck. He pushed her dress slightly upward and stuck his hand underneath her clothes. His hot palm and callused fingers felt rough against the sensitive areas of Max¡¯s breasts. She sighed, thrilled by his warm touch, and rubbed her forehead against his shoulder. Riftan pushed his hardness against her stomach as he kept massaging her breasts. A warm sensation began to spread through Max¡¯s body, as if a me was burning in her stomach. She spread her legs further when she felt the familiar ache to ept him and desperately tugged at his robes, rubbing herself to him, as giving him permission. Then Riftan grew intense, as if he demanded to feel more skin, and his body seemed to shake from excitement as he lifted the hem of her dress. At that moment, a loud roar emitted in the sky. Note ¨C Nymeria: Okay first of all, Riftan that ¡°you can¡¯t borrow me¡± sounded SO stupid, I was dying fromughing. Second, a very steamy scene after a long time! Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Trantor ¨C LN Max looked up, startled. Fireworks were cascading over the festival grounds, scattering shes of light everywhere. Max was entranced by the magnificent scene but Riftan groaned shortly beside her ear. ¡°F*ck, Agnes.¡± Max understood: clearly, Agnes had initiated the fireworks disy. Then she came to her senses, panicked, and tried to push Riftan away. ¡°W-we should go and see w-what happened.¡± ¡°She¡¯s having fun again. That woman loves being a pain in the a**.¡± He sighed and let out a shaky breath, trying his best to calm his growing desire. He wiped his face, where his excitement was easy to read. ¡°F**k, what¡¯s Elliot doing, letting this go on?¡± ¡°Y-you should help.¡± Again, the loud eruption of explosives resounded in the air. Riftan mmed his head against the tree and began cussing out. Max didn¡¯t know how she could help him. Her body was still leaning against Riftan¡¯s, which was still burning like a hot fire. When she heard people cheer on the festival grounds, Max came back down to Earth, and a wave of embarrassment overwhelmed her. Dear God¡­ Sir Karon must know what we were up to. What did he and the passerby think when they saw us leave quietly? Hot steam seemed to blow out of her ears and Max began to cry out from shame, her face turning a deep red. Riftan sighed at her difort and reluctantly set her feet on the floor. ¡°Damn, give me a minute. Let me calm down.¡± Like a small, discouraged boy, he copsed onto the ground and pressed his forehead against his knee. Max kneeled next to him and waited for him to cool downpletely. In-between her legs it was still throbbing from the desire and the roof of her mouth was dry. She was so embarrassed about the situation that she couldn¡¯t raise her face and Riftan¡¯s mood was the same, if not worse. He had dug his head over his knees only for a few seconds when another spark suddenly shed in the sky. He gritted his teeth. ¡°That damn woman. I¡¯ll exile her from Anatol.¡± ¡°Oh, d-don¡¯t say that. She is a guest from t-the royal family.¡± ¡°Should we let unwanted guests stay here?¡± Riftan said bluntly, ncing at Max. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten pretty close to hertely, have you?¡± Max gave an uncertain look as the question floated in the air. Although she and Agnes were polite with each other and had yed in the festival hand-in-hand, she still didn¡¯t know her true character. Max was too honest to reply that they had a good rtionship, so simply said with a nervousugh, ¡°S-she seems like a nice person a-and is kind to me.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of her dragging you around?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. A-actually, I feel I have more energy than usual¡±, Max said trying to cate him. She waited for his answer, wondering if it sounded convincing enough, but in response Riftan just looked down and curled a few strands of Max¡¯s hair between his fingers, then tugged them behind her ears. She shuddered at his touch. A few soft leaves fell and left a pale green shadow over his sharp face as they fell to the ground. Riftan, who had been staring at Max quietly for a while, muttered softly, ¡°Today is the first time I¡¯ve seen you so happy, enjoying yourself¡­ having fun.¡± ¡°Th-this is my first time at a town festival¡±, Max answered, caught off guard by his serious gaze. ¡°Do you want me to hold a festival every day?¡± Riftan said, seriously. ¡°D-don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay for them all.¡± He looked like he was being too serious, so Max sped her hands and turned pale. ¡°Y-you mustn¡¯t. N-next year. It w-would be nice enough to ce here together again.¡± Riftan¡¯s eyes became unfocused. He closed his eyes, thinking deeply about what she said. ¡°Yes, next year, the two of us¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, another BANG rang out and his brow furrowed. He stood and said distractedly, ¡°Let¡¯s head back. I need to put this out before she burns all of Anatol.¡± Max clumsily stood as well. Riftan patted her clothes, took her hand, and led the way out of their spot behind the tree. She still felt light-headed, as if she were walking on a cloud. A warm, spring breeze flowed around her body, as if hugging her. She couldn¡¯t even remember why the festival was being held in the first ce. At the top of the hill, Agnes was still emitting fireworks into the sky with her magic. She only stopped when Riftan came to berate her and stuck her tongue out at him. At his terrible gaze, Sir Karon muttered his apologies for not being able to control the princess. Riftan¡¯s dark mood didn¡¯t dissipate as he walked down the hill among crowds of spectators, he stared at every face who caught his eye with a menacing re. Agnes¡¯ followed him, morosely. ¡°You needn¡¯t be so angry. Everyone enjoyed the lights¡±, she mumbled. ¡°Some of these people might¡¯ve recognized you. Christ. You¡¯re a blond, blue-eyed wizard. Isn¡¯t that typical of a Capitol citizen?¡± He locked eyes with the princess and said menacingly, ¡°Please be aware. You¡¯re a king¡¯s daughter, and some people here want to hurt you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so stiff. If anyone tries to harm me, I can take care of myself.¡± She mped her mouth shut upon Riftan¡¯s cold gaze. She rolled her eyes, but eventually said softly, ¡°I may have overdone it a bit this time since I was excited.¡± ¡°You went overboard¡±, Riftan said fiercely through his teeth. He looked around. Although he wore a hood, there were still many young townspeople who seemed to recognize him. Even worse, Agnes, the person who had magically set off the fireworks, was in his presence. Spectators were watching them and whispering, the word was spreading among the festival participants that the Lord Calypse and an elite wizard were among them. To avoid trouble, Riftan and the group headed straight for the main road. ¡°Please, wait one moment. I¡¯ll bring up the coach¡±, Sir Karon said quickly once they broke from the crowd. Looking back, Agnes said sincerely, ¡°I am sorry that our outing ended early because of me. I only wanted us all to enjoy ourselves more.¡± ¡°Oh, it was a n-nice surprise. I enjoyed your magic. It w-was amazing! I d-didn¡¯t know a technique like that existed.¡± Agnes beamed from Max¡¯s praise. ¡°I learned how to make fireworks when I was at the Wizarding Tower. The fireworks are a bit noisy, but cool to the touch. Since it burns quickly, it won¡¯t affect its surroundings either. I often conjure them for annual celebrations.¡± ¡°I see. T-This magic is for entertainment.¡± Maxi lowered her eyes, a bit disappointed in herself. A while ago, she had almost beatose from wasting too much mana, even after trying to preserve as much magic as she could for her patients. Yet Agnes had emitted scores of fireworks and looked perfectly fine: to the princess, that amount of mana was miniscule. Max felt an inferior gap between herself and Agnes again. While Riftan was checking the carriage, Agnes leaned in and whispered in Max¡¯s ear, ¡°By the way, it looked like a scene from a tale.¡± ¡°Y-yes?¡± ¡°When Riftan took the dancing Maximilian into the forest.¡± Max¡¯s face began to turn as red as charcoal burning in a fire, but Agnes didn¡¯t stop. ¡°What did you two do in the woods?¡± ¡°A-agnes!¡± Max almost screamed. Agnes giggled and scampered into the carriage. Riftan, who was checking that the jockey was still sober, looked at the princess retreating back in surprise. Max shook her head to show that nothing important had happened and quickly followed her into the carriage. Agnes was leaning against the carriage door when she saw Max¡¯s expression andughed. ¡°Your face looks red like a plum. Aren¡¯t you too innocent to be a married woman?¡± ¡°D-don¡¯tugh. Please.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a hard request to obey. I enjoy teasing you, Maximilian.¡± Agnes blue eyes shone brightly while herughter turned into suppressed giggles. Max began to sweat, not knowing how to respond to this odd behavior. The princess smiled gently. ¡°Thank you foring out with me today. I¡¯m d we were able to make some happy memories together before I head back.¡± Max¡¯s eyes widened at this remark. ¡°H-have you finished your duties here?¡± ¡°I should head back to the Capitol soon. I see it¡¯s pointless now to convince that man toe with me¡±, she said pointing outside at Riftan. ¡°I should be satisfied now that I¡¯ve confirmed he¡¯s doing well.¡± Max¡¯s breath stopped as she heard the admiration in Agnes¡¯ voice. She wasn¡¯t sure if Agnes favored Riftan as a man or admired him as the invincible Mahgo. Agnes looked at her and her countenance became serious. ¡°If you have the time, please consider stopping by the Pce at least once. I¡¯ll guide you from there to every corner of the surrounding Capitol.¡± ¡°Th-thank you for the offer.¡± ¡°I mean this sincerely. It¡¯s a formal invitation¡±, Agnes raised her finger in emphasis. Max averted her eyes to hide her embarrassment. The princess did not seem upset to be leaving Riftan alone, which made her a bit more relieved. If Agnes really did have feelings for Riftan, she would not be this kind, Max considered. If that was the case, the princess would have stayed longer and taken advantage of her situation in Anatol to win him over. After another moment, Riftan and Sir Karon finished their discussion and entered the carriage. Once all the passengers were seated, one of them knocked on the partition, and the carriage began to travel back to the Calypse estate. Looking out through her window, Max saw the fields, green from early spring, pass her by. Soft leaves rustled in the wind, as if a spirit were singing faintly. It was a lovely scene, but also somehow lonely. Note ¨C LN: Agnes is having fun at everyone¡¯s expense lol Nymeria: I¡¯m sorry for the dy, tough period. This is a bonus chapter to make amends! <3 Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Trantor ¨C LN Proofreader ¨C Nymeria The next day, Agnes and her men began to prepare for their journey back to the Pce. With Rodrigo¡¯s help, Max reviewed the packing list while coordinating the servants to prepare for their guests¡¯ departure. The original n was to consult with Riftan to provide a gift to the King, but the monster bones and skin took up most of the avable space in the horse-drawn carriages. Besides, between Agnes¡¯ spoils from the monster raids and the purchases she had made in town, the servants could only fit four tapestries and six ruby-encrusted wine sses in misceneous ces. ¡°Ha-have you inspected the carriages?¡± Max asked Rodrigo. ¡°Yes, my Lady. I reced one of the wheels and fed the horses. The cksmiths also n to check the horseshoes prior to departure¡±. Max continued to scan the packing list as Rodrigo briefed her. He watched her quietly for a moment before saying nervously. ¡°My Lady, it hasn¡¯t been long since you¡¯ve recovered. If you need rest, please leave everything to me.¡± Max gave him a sour smile. Riftan¡¯s overprotective personality seemed to have spread amongst the servants. It was now a recurring theme for someone to ask her to rest whenever she was engaged. She moved her thin body, watching the skirt of her pale, green dress swish faintly. Did she look sickly? She knew she didn¡¯t look particrly strong, but she wouldn¡¯t break from standing either. Max raised her head and said assuredly. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sick. I have had enough r-rest, thank you. I-I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that, my Lady, but please don¡¯t overwhelm yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, I know¡±, Max said wryly, unperturbed by the butler¡¯s words. She turned to focus on the servants scurried around the castle. She wanted to help the busy staff and didn¡¯t want to be treated like a weak, old man. She strode down the corridor with a nonchnt expression to look professional. Agnes and her knights were inspecting their weapons, magic artifacts, and other equipment near the Great Hall. A knight had told Max that crossing the Anatolian Mountains in itself was already a dangerous journey, so they had to prepare for monster ambushes. The knights dressed their horses with protective armor and installed sharp des on the t roofs of the carriages to prevent monsters from roosting there. Finally, the knights began to check their personal armor for defects. Even the attendants were lightly armed with swords and leather armor. Instead of going home, the party looked like they were going to war. ¡°Maximilian!¡± Agnes waved at her happily. ¡°Thank you for helping my men and I pack.¡± ¡°Yes. Pl-Please let me know if there¡¯s a-anything else you need¡±. ¡°We just need enough food and water now to reach the estate of Baron Luvein. Any more goods, and it will be dangerous to maneuver. The extra weight will slow our movement.¡± Agnes viewed Max¡¯s packing list and nodded in approval. ¡°Looks urate.¡± ¡°Y-you requested medicines this morning?¡± ¡°Thirty shekels of detoxifying potion (about 330 grams), and twenty shekels of recovery potion (about 220 grams) will be enough¡±, Agnes said. Max wrote down the quantities before handing off the list to Rodrigo. The princess watched the transaction with a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯ve had a headache since dawn. I considered prolonging my departure a couple more days, but my father has sent an urgent message.¡± She sighed, motioning to a messenger hawk resting on one of the carriages. Max¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ha-has something happened at the Capital?¡± ¡°The typical drama. Another territorial dispute¡±, Agnes rubbed her forehead. ¡°After the rainy season, the bloody fools who have been locked inside all day tend to make noise, as if they¡¯re bears waking up from hibernation. There really is never a peaceful day.¡± Max¡¯s heart fell. She remembered the Knights of Croix often leaving the estate for one of her father¡¯s campaigns. Knights seemed to spend most of their lives on the battlefield. ¡°R-Riftan will also have to depart a-at some point.¡± Max said deeply, trying to hide her dejection. ¡°Yes, if the conflict growsrge enough to require the Remdragon Knights¡±, Agnes said with her usual, cheerful attitude, checking that the goods were secured tightly on her saddle. Max hid her face, trying to review the packing list again, but her eyes were too blurred with tears to read the words properly. She bit her lip to hide her disappointment. ¡°When that timees, Maximillian, you cane too.¡± Max rose her head. ¡°M-m-me?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a wizard?¡± Agnes tilted her head, surprised at her response. ¡°If a crisis isrge enough to require Riftan¡¯s assistance, his group will need healing magic as well. There are too many conflicts in this world and not enough wizards to support. He may need your help soon, Maximilian.¡± ¡°Oh, I-I¡¯m not sure if I would be helpful. I o-only started learning magic a while ago. The lst time I used healing magic, I fainted. I do-don¡¯t seem to have that much mana¡±. ¡°Your magic will improve exponentially with practice¡±, Agnes said, frowning. She seemed to have expected a more enthusiastic response from Max. ¡°I heard from the knights you only started learning magic a few months ago. You¡¯ve done impressive feats as a beginner, Maximilian.¡± ¡°I h-have only done simple healing spells. Ruth does many other types of magic. I-I¡¯ve tried other branches of magic with him, but h-have not advanced much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not umon for wizards to excel in certain branches. Most likely, Maximilian, you have an affinity for healing magic. If you train for a few years and take some risks outside of the castle, I have no doubt that you will be a great healer in a few years.¡± Agnes seemed so convinced about Max¡¯s potential that even she almost began to wonder if she did have some innate talent. The princess lowered her voice to encourage Max, ¡°Do not forsake the talents that God has given you.¡± Max stared nkly at Agnes¡¯ blue eyes, at a loss for words. She had lived almost twenty-two years being called a stammering fool by her father. Since she had arrived to Anatol, she pretended to act like a distinguished noblewoman, and was often discouraged about her poor performance. Yet now, a powerful wizard like Agnes who had traveled across the entire continent said that Max had a gift. She looked at the princess nervously, trying to see if she truly meant what she had said. Agnes¡¯ expression was tender, but her eyes were firm. She seemed sincere. Max swallowed before saying, ¡°I-I¡¯ll try my best.¡± ¡°You can do it¡±, Agnes smiled, trying to motivate her, then she lightly tapped on her shoulder before checking on her knights. You can do it. Those simple words seemed to produce a ripple in Max¡¯s mind, as if sprouting a new idea that she could control her future. *** An extravagant dinner was set in the dining hall as an informal farewell party for the guests. It was a bit too simple to call it a feast, but the guests enjoyed their meal withoutint. Every Remdragon Knight was present to wish Agnes¡¯ and her men good luck on their journey. After a short farewell ceremony, the knights lined themselves outside the castle. Agnes leapt onto her red-brown horse without dy, wanting to camp at the foot of the mountains before sundown. ¡°Thank you all for your generosity. I had a wonderful time¡±, Agnes smiled at Max. She was thanking her host as etiquette demanded, as expected from a princess. ¡°N-no. I wish I h-had been a better host¡±. ¡°Let¡¯s end the formalities here¡±. The princess looked over shoulder, making sure her party was ready to leave. Three stocked carriages and her attendants were behind her, her knights to her left and right were all staring at her, ready for themand to depart. Six additional Remdragon Knights had temporarily joined Agnes¡¯ party. They had been ordered by Riftan to escort Agnes¡¯ safely out of Anatol. ¡°We should get going¡±. Hebaron, who was part of her entourage, gave a huge grin while scratching his back. ¡°You came like a typhoon making a mess and now you¡¯re leaving like thunder. Do you have to make a big impression on everyone who crosses your path?¡± ¡°I do hate the idea of leaving a mess¡±, Agnes said. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re too impatient and reckless.¡± Riftan, standing in the front row with his arms crossed over his chest, muttered cynically under his breath and Agnesughed as if Riftan¡¯s suspicions were ridiculous. ¡°Lord Calypse is thest person who should be teaching me about patience.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about discussing patience with me¡±, Riftan warned. ¡°I haven¡¯t raised my voice at you once. I¡¯ve been enduring your presence for the past few weeks while you¡¯ve tried to coerce me with your schemes.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t raised your voice?¡± Agnes repeated him, bewildered.
Note ¨C Nymeria: Agnes leaving ?? I¡¯ll miss this typhoon, I love seeing how she gives courage and boosts Maxi¡¯s confidence. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Trantor ¨C LN Max watched Riftan and Agnes argue. It was embarrassing to see them fight in public, but the knights around them seemed used to it, and shook their heads, bored. ¡°Christ, say your goodbyes and leave already¡±, Riftan said. ¡°You started the argument first!¡± ¡°Do you n on leaving after the sun sets?¡±, he added. Agnes¡¯ shoulders briefly trembled as if she was trying to hold back a retort, then she sighed. ¡°Yes, unwanted guests should leave.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°R-Riftan!¡± Max pulled on the hem of his shirt. Riftan looked down at her before forcing himself to give a fake smile to Agnes. ¡°Please have safe travels.¡± ¡°Thank you¡±, Agnes said dryly, but smiled when she turned to Max. ¡°Maximillian, thank you also for your hospitality.¡± ¡°Pl-please stay safe and good luck¡±. ¡°I wish you the same¡±, the princess said before alerting her men. Her knights yelled in approval before following Agnes across the drawbridge, kicking up dust beneath them. Max waved her hand until she had disappeared from her sight. She had felt ufortable having Riftan and Agnes spend time together, but now, a mysterious hollow feeling seemed to rece our anxiety. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to our room¡±, Riftan told her. He hugged her firmly while looking at the castle. Max turned in his embrace to watch him: his arms felt thick and strong like a tree trunk. *** Max soonpleted her tasks of renovating the gardens and castle. The gardens were now green and lush, depicting full bloom flowers. The sky over the garden became noisy as hawkers trained their birds. In the castle, old furniture was reced, and every corner was either decorated or clean. Meanwhile, Riftan was still busy coordinating the road construction. The knights toiled from dawn until dusk around him, keeping the monsters away. Max soon fell into a monotonous routine. The servants were diligent andpetent, needing little supervision. Before, she had studied magic in her free time but was now hesitant to start again. Her apathy towards the subject affected her ability, in fact it took her longer to memorizeplex forme without her past enthusiasm. In thefort of her bedroom, she sighed as she touched the book spines lined up in rows on the bookshelf. Agnes had said she had a talent for healing magic, but Max still wasn¡¯t quite sure. Should she continue to learn magic, even if Riftan was against it? Her husband had made it clear that he never wanted her help, and Max was too discouraged to follow up after his initial rejection. White rays of sunlight poured over her through the window and she kept getting distracted by the view outside instead of reading, and she had lost interest in the speech practice worksheet that Ruth had made for her. What was the point in continuing? Sheid her head against the windowsill and sighed again. ¡°What are you doing? Are you sick?¡±, Riftan said. Max turned quickly and walked up to him. ¡°W-Why are you here at this time?¡± Riftan had left before dawn to supervise the road construction. Max looked at him with worry, wondering if there had been issues. However, he was unhurt and stood tall as always, disying a confident presence. His hair was shining like a ck onyx with strands outstretched here and there at odd angles. He looked at her methodically, checking for any signs of weakness. After taking off his leather gloves, he rested his hand against her forehead. ¡°I had toe back to see the cksmith and stopped by to see you. Do you have a fever?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I w-was only looking outside.¡± ¡°You were sighing. Are you bored here?¡± he said, troubled. ¡°Would you like to invite some of the neighboring nobles and hold a banquet?¡± Max widened her eyes and drew back in surprise. Although Riftan had the funds to hold a banquet now, the knights didn¡¯t have the time to leisurely enjoy their food, drink, and entertain guests. His offer was ridiculous, just like the time he had offered to hold a festival every day of the year. Yet his face showed that he was making a genuine offer, so she shook her head quickly. Riftan frowned and bent until they were at eye level. His gaze was serious, as if wanting to know what she was thinking about. ¡°You¡¯ve been making faces since the guests left. If you¡¯re bored from the country life¡ª¡± Max cut him off. ¡°No! I-It¡¯s only because the weather has been warm. I w-was drowsy. I d-don¡¯t want to hold a banquet or feast. I do-don¡¯t enjoy those things.¡± ¡°At Croix Castle, you didn¡¯t stay at the banquet for long either¡±, he said thoughtfully. ¡°You only revealed yourself and left after a short while.¡± His tone sounded disapproving to Max. Did he want a more social wife? ¡°I w-want to be a good host and m-make sure our guests feel w-wee¡±, she said resolutely. ¡°Bu-but I generally do not enjoy loud events. Even as a child, I¡¯ve never liked them.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t seem that way at the festival. I just want to see you enjoy¡ª¡±, Riftan winced, noticing that he was raising his voice. His shoulders stiffened. ¡°Then, would you like to take a walk with me now, instead?¡± he added more softly. ¡°You d-don¡¯t have to. You¡¯re busy¡±. ¡°I¡¯m not busy enough to stop breathing¡±, Riftan said, annoyed. He picked up Max¡¯s cloak hanging off the wall. ¡°Do you want to avoid spending time with me?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t d-dislike your idea. B-but Riftan, you¡¯re always working. You don¡¯t have t-time to sleep properly. Instead of a walk, y-you should rest even for a little bit. I-it will be better for you.¡± ¡°Taking a nap in bed together sounds nice¡±, Riftan nced at the bed before grimacing. ¡°But I¡¯m not confident enough that I can justy down with you and sleep quietly.¡± Max blushed and heid a hand on her shoulder before fastening the sp on her cloak around her neck. ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk. I haven¡¯t seen the gardens you¡¯ve decorated up close¡±. A fresh breeze entered through the open window and Riftan sniffed, then made a strange face. ¡°The whole castle smells like flowers¡±. ¡°Do you dislike it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s something different¡±, he said dryly. ¡°I¡¯m used to the smell of dirt, horses, sweat, blood¡­¡± Max felt that perhaps Riftan had more inmon with the flowers than she did. He was full of life just like their garden, was familiar with living every day, through hardship or training. He was strong and brave enough to ovee his trials, while she was just empty. ¡°Let¡¯s grab some refreshments first¡±, Riftan said lightly, trying to improve her mood. Max smiled, trying to hide her worries. ¡°A few days ago, I b-bought a lot of fresh fruit. T-there were quality spices on sale. We w-will have a lot to choose from.¡± ¡°Good, it¡¯s been some time since I¡¯ve had fresh fruit. Not dried or pickled¡±. Riftan looked straight ahead and went out with Max. After stopping momentarily in the kitchens, they left to go outside with a basket of raspberries, mulled wine, freshly baked apples, and bread. Max squinted when bright sunlight shone over her, making the dew on the flower buds shine like jewels. Compared to the stone floor the servants cleaned and polished every day, the grass felt like a soft carpet that emitted a soft, bluish hue. ¡°Are you cold?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m v-very warm¡±. She took his hand and walked slowly. The Uigru tree was now sprouting buds. Max smiled andughed quietly while she admired the foliage. Ruth¡¯s magic had worked, the tree had finallye back to life. ¡°What are you smiling andughing about?¡± ¡°The tree here. Do you see? The f-flowers have blossomed¡±. ¡°I thought this tree was dead¡±. ¡°Ruth said the t-tree may seem dead but t-there was a high chance it was still alive. I-in autumn, he applied his magic¡±, Max stopped as she saw Riftan be impassive. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No¡±, he said bluntly and tugged on her arm. ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s interesting about an ugly tree having leaves. We should look at something else. Let¡¯s go to the garden you¡¯re always looking at from our room.¡± ¡°The merchant gave me some rmendations. I p-nted a medley of flowers. I hope you e-enjoy them¡±. They walked down a path past the training area gates at a rxed pace. Max smiled in delight as she saw the sun filter through the foliage and light up her husband¡¯s face. She loved looking at him and yet feared to disappoint him at the same time. His naturally cruel and sharp eyes, hisrge and overbearing body that moved lithely, even when he was at ease¡­ She admired all of him and was no longer scared of his appearance. She didn¡¯t understand why such a handsome man felt so passionate about a woman like her. Regardless, her heart seemed to fill with him more and more as the days went by. ¡°The garden view is even more wonderful up close¡±. They finally arrived. A medley of colorful flowers were in full bloom and Riftan began to speak. Note ¨C LN: Lol, Riftan shot down the Uigru Tree legend in three sentences. Nymeria: Guys, Riftan¡¯s reaction to the oak tree¡­ Riftan sus. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Trantor ¨C LF Proofreader ¨C Nymeria ¡°Ah, the scent smells really good.¡± Max gazed at it with a sense of relief and pride. Bright red buds saturated the area around the small puddle dug by the servants, and the shrub trees that were lined up like little soldiers had bluish-purple flowers sprouting, next to them was a field of various herbs which grew pleasantly and created a wonderful harmony with the flowers. Max ced a handkerchief on a t chair carved out of stone and sat. ¡°The p-nts here¡­ all of them can be used as h-herbs and spices.¡± ¡°You mean you made an edible garden?¡± ¡°It¡¯s o-one thing to have pretty flowers in a garden, b-but nting useful nts¡­ I thought that it w-would be nice.¡± Max¡¯s words made Riftanugh gently. ¡°I will instruct the guards to make sure that nothing harms this garden and to keep it intact.¡± ¡°Do you l-like¡­ it?¡± He looked down at Max who was sitting a step away from the flower garden and then he nodded slowly. An intense emotion shed over his eyes and then disappeared briefly. ¡°Yes, I like it.¡± The voice that came with his response was oddly strained. Max looked at him with a puzzled nce, when Riftan squatted near her, patting his lips as if trying to hide his feelings. ¡°A year ago, I never imagined I would spend such a leisurely time in a flower garden with my wife.¡± Max grew nervous upon realizing that Riftan was pertaining to the time he went on an expedition. ¡°I heard that¡­ you have g-gone through a lot of t-trouble during the e-expedition.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy. There were thousands of monsters living in the Lexos mountains and the road to the Dragonir was surrounded byyers of barriers andbyrinths.¡± He replied grimly, rummaging through a basket and taking out an apple. He took a big bite out of it and its fresh juice gently moistened his lips. Max¡¯s face flushed red, sensual memories shing in her head. Regardless of her wild imaginations, Riftan, who was sitting on the ground eating an apple, seemed free and rxed; like an innocent boy who was na?ve of the cruel world. He took a green apple and offered it to her. ¡°It tastes pretty good. Try it too.¡± Max absently took a bite on the apple. There was no taste on her tongue as it was hardened by the tension she was feeling. She had suffered immensely because of her father, which made her so preupied with her own misery for the past three years that she had never thought about the hardships Riftan went through. Rather, she even feared that if he came back, he would inflict unimaginable harm on her. But how can he be sofortable by my side?. Overwhelmed by the question in her head, Max looked down carefully at Riftan who was enjoying the breeze. Has he ever med me? Max hoped that wasn¡¯t the case, but after all, Riftan married her even knowing all the hardship it was going to bring him. Wouldn¡¯t any man in the world who faced such misfortunement? It was a miracle that he decided to keep his wedding vows and was satisfied with her. Her thoughts made her heart feel ufortable, so she quickly changed the topic. ¡°Is the r-road construction¡­going well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going well. It will bepleted by the time falles.¡± Riftan threw the apple seeds into the bush with an ambitious smile. ¡°I will expand the port as soon as the road isplete. It would cost a lot of money to keep it indestructible by monsters but the traders from the south will be able to dock huge ships and they will reward us handsomely for that. It¡¯s going to be extremely profitable.¡± ¡°Can you make t-that much money¡­ from t-tolls alone?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going to be just tolls. Partnering with merchants can make you more money than the king. They share a portion of their ie in exchange for protecting their expensive cargo and helping them run their business smoothly. There already are many merchants lining up to cooperate. I won¡¯t let you miss the privilege of enjoying rare silks and spicesing from the south at an affordable price.¡± He leaned back and smiled at her. ¡°When the trader brings the ship, I will give you 500 silk clothes.¡± ¡°I have m-more than enough s-silk clothes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not enough¡±, he affirmed andughed. ¡°Hang in there. I will give you countless numbers of the most expensive clothes in the world. Then, I¡¯ll put diamond rings that shine brighter than the sun on each of your finger. From your neck to your wrist, to your ankles, I¡¯ll decorate you with jewels.¡± He grabbed her hand and pressed his lips on her wrist. The feeling of the slightly cold, wet lips pressing against the sensitive, pulsing skin made Max shudder. Riftan¡¯s dark eyes were deeply satisfied. ¡°I will make you the most honorabledy in the Seven Kingdoms. I will make you enjoy as much as wealth as the princess of Roem.¡± Riftan caressed her palm and spoke passionately to her. ¡°If the empire did not perish, you would have been treated as the most precious woman in this continent. Someone like me wouldn¡¯t have been allowed to even talk to you.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t say such nonsense. Roem perished a long t-time ago and the Roem family barely maintains their name¡­ now t-they have no power, n-no influence. I am j-just one of the m-many many nobles of Whedon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being too humble. You are the descendant of the great imperial family who once ruled the empire, and the eldest daughter of the most powerful Duke in Whedon. You are not just any noblewoman.¡± Suddenly, a look of cruelty permeated Riftan¡¯s face. ¡°I despise your father, but I don¡¯t intend to disrespect him. The reason the Duke chose me as your husband is because I was useful to him, not exactly because I¡¯m a suitable or worthy groom for you.¡± Max¡¯s hand, which was held by Riftan, flinched. Like a hound that instinctively crushes a bird pping out of his ws, he tightened his grasp. ¡°I have no noble rtives. Even if I die, I have no brothers who will bother to avenge me. Amoner knight who has the skill and reputation, but no power. It was no big deal for him to make me his actingmander, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to take care of any matter that may arise. He just chose me to be the man whom he could use, then let die.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°He thought I would nevere back and continue our marriage.¡± Riftan emphasized gently but his tone was frightening. ¡°But I came back alive, and our marriage is real. Now that man has no authority over you. I am your family.¡± At those words full of possessiveness, she felt a cool breeze sweeping through her heart. She was worthless to her father, it was only Rosetta that the duke acknowledged as his daughter. Maximillian was a failure, a useless daughter, who was married to amoner knight at a timely opportunity, just to be of use to the Duke, so the fine noblewoman Riftan was referring to couldn¡¯t possibly be her, but Rosetta. Max bit her lips. The fact that her own father had thoroughly deceived and used her husband gave her a new kind of anger and she felt unbearably sad that she had been the key to that deceit. The Duke of Crox should have given a cherished daughter to a young knight who would risk his life for him, he should have given the beautiful and bright Rosetta to Riftan. He should have been treated with that much. As the emotions rose fiercely in her heart, Max began to speak in a trembling voice. ¡°I¡¯m r-really¡­ s-sorry.¡± All of a sudden, as if all the spite escaped from him, Riftan sped her face between his palms. ¡°Damn, I¡¯ve said too much nonsense. I wasn¡¯t trying to me you, I know you have nothing to do with your father¡¯s evil tactics. You never wanted to marry me, did you?¡± That was true. He smiled at her bitterly as he looked at her eyes that couldn¡¯t deny what he said. ¡°You are just another pitiful pawn who was forced by your father to marry a lowly human like me.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s not like that. D-d-don¡¯t say it that way-¡± But he did not listen to his wife¡¯s urgent words. ¡°However, I will make you perfectly satisfied. I will make you feel like marrying me was better than marrying any other noble or royalty.¡± Unable to bear his words anymore, Max started to speak. ¡°I-I already feel that way. S-so¡­¡± Suddenly she leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck. Riftan stiffened from surprise, before raising his arms to hug her vigorously. He pulled her head and ced his lips over hers. Max trembled helplessly as his sweet tongue, faintly scented with green apples, gently filled her mouth. The urge to bury her face against his neck and cry soared. The fantasies he had of her was ridiculously surreal. Max closed her eyes tightly, feeling miserable: no matter how hard she tried, she would not be able to meet his expectations. They stayed together like that, with their bodies glued to each other, for a long time. When a guard came looking for him, he stroked her cheek and stared at her with a sad expression, then gave her a gentle kiss and reluctantly got up from his seat. Max watched gloomily as she watched him leave to fulfill his duties as a Lord. She was feeling so much guilt thinking that her father had thoroughly deceived him and she just had silently obeyed him. She knew the unchanging past wasn¡¯t worth thinking about, but she couldn¡¯t shake her own self-condemnation. Max trudged back to the room and copsed on the bed. The fact that Riftan treated her like an honorable princess made her ufortable to her bones. For the past 22 years, Max was raised like a dog by her father. When the dogs rebelled, her father would raise his whip, but they would at least bare their teeth at him. Max instead just sat down on her knees, bearing the punishment and obeying with tears in her eyes. She had a deep understanding of how helpless and miserable she was. As she crawled on the floor like a bug and hung on her father¡¯s feet, Max couldn¡¯t forget what her figure looked like through the mirror in the room. Her skin was all swollen and she wriggled on the stone-cold floor like a worm. Princess, Duke¡¯s precious daughter¡­ all those titles were ridiculous. Max curled up and buried her face in herp. The more she thought of Riftan, the tighter her chest became. Was it okay to admit who she really was and how far she was from his perfect wife idea that he had in his mind? However, just imagining herself telling the truth to her husband caused her body to have cold sweats and twisted her stomach. She was well aware of how the servants of Croix Castle looked at her. Their nces, filled with lukewarm sympathy at a distance, were sometimes harder for her to bear than her father¡¯s violence. It would be better to die than to receive such a look from Riftan. Her husband believed that his wife was the most honorabledy in the world, and she never wanted him to know how miserable she had been living. Max got out of bed and left the room after she couldn¡¯t bear the spiralling depressive thoughts anymore. If she continued to be locked up alone, her own negativity would swallow her whole. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Trantor ¨C LF Proofreader ¨C Nymeria Max needed to make herself busy. Being idle brought memories of her time at the Croix Castle and it made her feel like an empty shell. She then decided to go to the kitchen and supervise the servants to see if dinner was going well. Just as she came down from the stairs and was heading towards the hall, a loud voice called over her shoulder. ¡°Lady Calypse!¡± Max turned her head to the direction of the voice. Sir Gabel Laxion and Sir Lombardo walked through the wide-open door with serious expressions, which made her nervous. ¡°W-What¡¯s the matter? At this time of the day¡­?¡± ¡°I apologize for calling you so suddenly. There is someone injured, will you kindly take a look at him?¡± They passed through the servants who were cleaning the hall¡¯s floors and ran straight to her. Max was taken aback and widened her eyes. Back when she had just started to practice healing magic, she often looked after injured knights and never experienced depleting her mana, but after thest incident such exchanges ceased. Still, it had to be something very urgent for them to decide to request her help. Max felt embarrassed and hurriedly opened her lips to talk. ¡°How about¡­ R-ruth?¡± ¡°The wizard is at the construction site right now. I don¡¯t want to burden you, mdy, but I can¡¯t afford the time to go down the town and find another healer.¡± They were in a hurry and didn¡¯t wait for Max¡¯s reply as they quickly led her to the door. She almost stumbled in hurry as she tried to keep pace with the knights¡¯ wide strides. ¡°H-How¡­ Who was injured?¡± ¡°Some knights were sent to Libadon for an inspection of thendst winter. It seems that they were attacked by werewolves beyond the territory of Anatol as they wereing back, one of them was bitten and infected with venom¡­¡± Gabel lightly clicked his tongue and btedly nced at Max with anxiety. ¡°Do you know how to use magic for injuries involving venom?¡± ¡°I-I studied the magic form. Yet I haven¡¯t had the chance to actually practice¡­¡± ¡°You can give it a try this time.¡± Gabel spat out without hesitation, then began to slide down the railing of the stairs. Max tried to hurry down to keep his pace, but had to pull the hem of her dress up to one side to prevent her from rolling down. ¡°R-rather¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be better to wait for Ruth to return?¡± ¡°If we dy it any longer, the venom will spread, and he will be unable to use his right hand for the rest of his life. His life as a knight would be over. We won¡¯t me you if you fail, but please give it a try first.¡± Lombardo spat out in a tone that seemed more like apulsion than a request and Max swallowed dryly. The knights had so far lived trying to hide even the smallest injuries, but now that they were actuallying to her for help in a moment of crisis, she didn¡¯t know whether she was feeling happy or overwhelmed by what they expected of her. What if I can¡¯t handle it? She followed the knights across the garden, rubbing her damp palms against her skirt to wipe away the sweat. They passed through the doors leading to the training door and then headed straight towards the dorms. ¡°This way.¡± Max stepped in the wooden building to follow them and stiffened as soon as she realized that the inside of the room was very dark: the sunlight was kept outside with thick curtains. It was only when the knight lit a candle that a deste space with three or four camp beds came into view. The room seemed haphazardly made to cater just those who were injured during training. As she followed the knights, she saw a shelf full of medicinal herbs and bottles of unknown medicine, a brazier emitting a faint light, and a boiling kettle. Max looked around and trembled slightly at the strange scenery. When she heard a weak moaning sound, she turned towards it and saw a young knight lying down on the farthest bed. She stepped over to him and frowned. ¡°It¡¯s dark, so I can¡¯t see the wounds well. C-can the curtains be taken off?¡± ¡°Werewolves¡¯ venom makes one¡¯s nerves extremely sensitive. Sunlight exposure intensifies the pain so the struggle will be harder. Here, let me light another candle instead.¡± Gabel exined briefly, then lit a candlestick next to the bed and the dim light revealed the knight¡¯s bare torso. Max looked down tensely and when she confirmed that the size of the wound was notrger than what she was expecting, her shoulders loosened a bit. There was a deep bite mark on his forearm, but fortunately the bone didn¡¯t seem to be damaged. However, the infection was serious. She ced the back of her hand against the young man¡¯s face, her eyebrows furrowing at the heat of his body temperature. ¡°The antidote¡­ H-has he taken it?¡± ¡°He immediately took it when he was bitten, but the monster who bit him seems to be a high-level one, so the antidote is not working.¡± Max turned her head at the unfamiliar voice. A young knight with an emaciated face entered the infirmary, carrying a sk. Sir Lombardo quickly took the sk out of his hand. ¡°I told you to take a break and let the servants do these chores.¡± ¡°I am fine. On the other hand, this guy was bitten while he was bandaging me. It¡¯s my responsibility to take care of him.¡± The young knight stubbornly replied, grabbing the sk, and approaching the bedside. He then soaked a towel with water and began to wipe the body of the unconscious man. When the cold towel met his feverish body, a weak moan erupted from him. Sir Lombardo stiffened looking at the pitiful scene and turned to Max with urgency. ¡°Please hurry, if the venom spreads further, his arm will be permanently damaged.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll try.¡± She tilted the candlestick with a tense face, carefully examining the condition of the arm bitten by the monster. She had already seen a werewolf bite before, but that was very different from this. There was a foul odor emitting from the two pitted teeth marks, which were so deep that they looked like they had been nailed with a hammer. The bruise on his arm resembled a dark burgundy stain of paint and it was swelling like a plump sausage. Can I really heal it? Max tried to recall the magic she had learned from Ruth as she ced her trembling hand on top of the wound. Healing venom-infected wounds consumed less mana than healing magic, but the process and the execution was moreplex. She started drawing out her mana, trying to remember the unfamiliar form, but controlling mana in that way was not as easy as she had initially thought. She drew the magic form twice without sess and the tension was evident in the faces of the knights who were watching quietly by her side, noticing that she was encountering trouble during the process. ¡°Is it¡­ difficult?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll try one more time¡­¡± Max muttered in a creeping voice, her face turning red from the effort she was exerting. She felt regretful, thinking that she should have practiced this variant of magic instead of wasting time struggling with self-pity. She was afraid that if she didn¡¯t seed in healing that young knight, the trust that was built between her and all the knights would crumble in an instant. Max aggressively wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and applied her mana once more. When a hazy blue light was emitted and it wrapped around the knight¡¯s arm, she began drawing the intricate pattern again. The magical power that flowed into the knight¡¯s body purified the blood contaminated with venom and discharged it from the body with the help of the magical form. Noticing that it was working, Max exhaled a long sigh of relief. After a while, the dark red stain around the knight¡¯s arm and its angry swelling subsided. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a-all done.¡± Max slowly removed her hand as she felt that the dark energy waspletely eradicated from the wound. Gabel picked up a candlestick and looked closely at the knight¡¯splexion. He then suddenly pulled up the curtains and the bright sunlight flooded in, making Max squint her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°He¡¯s not reacting aggressively to the sunlight. It seems that the magic worked, and the venom¡¯spletely gone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not certain, there may be some v-venom and dark energy left¡­ he¡¯ll need more antidote. Will you kindly boil medicinal herbs?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare it.¡± The other knight, who had been restless by her side until then, quickly started making tea, putting herbs and leaves into a kettle. Max sat by the window and sighed for a moment as the tea boiled. It had been a long time since she used magic, so she felt slightly tired, but she wasn¡¯t feeling dizzy like it was when shepletely depleted her mana. She weighed her remaining mana and deciding that she could afford to use healing magic, she applied it on the knight once more. As the bite marks on his forearm rapidly healed, the young man¡¯s face started to look better, showing relief. ¡°We are grateful that you did so much, this is beyond favor. M dy should also drink the tea that¡¯s brewing, as the medicinal roots in it also help restore mana.¡± ¡°T-Thank you.¡± ¡°We have to properly express our thankful greetings to you. Thank you for saving this young knight¡¯s life.¡± At Sir Gabel¡¯s polite words, Max¡¯s face turned red. Hearing such appreciative words from others was like sweet rain amidst a drought, a break from the suffrage of dreadful thoughts. She muttered with a shy face whilst sipping the steaming herbal tea. ¡°It¡¯s a r-relief¡­ that I was helpful.¡± ¡°You were extremely helpful. Had it beenter, the venom would have spread, and his arm would have been permanently damaged. Sir Ruth wasn¡¯t around, but luckily for this guy, mdy is capable of using healing magic.¡± Max suddenly frowned and looked at the attending knight. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to return to the castle immediately, you should have prioritized going to the healer without dy.¡± ¡°We entered Anatol through the front. We decided that it would be better to go to the castle immediately than go down hill and pass by the vige. Moreover, he insisted that no matter what happened, we had to go straight to the castle. I didn¡¯t even know that the venom had spread faster than I thought.¡± The other knight, who was sweating whilst stirring tea in the kettle, muttered with a preupied expression. ¡°And above all, we thought that we had to deliver the news to the Lord as soon as possible.¡± ¡°What news?¡± Gabel asked with a puzzled face. Then, the attending knight opened his lips, carefully choosing the right words to deliver. ¡°As you know, the Lord sent us to Libadon to gather information. We stayed there over the winter and investigated the monster movement phenomenon.¡± ¡°Did you discover something out there?¡± The knight then nodded with a firm expression. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Trantor ¨C LF Proofreader ¨C Nymeria ¡°There seems to be an alliance forming between subracial monsters in the Pam teau, north of Livadon. Highly intelligent lizardmen and trolls formed arge army of monsters that began raiding viges. ording to what we heard just before we departed from Livadon, the troll army looted even a fairly vast territory in the north. ¡° ¡°Arge-scale alliance between the monsters?¡± Not only the knight¡¯s eyes widened, but Max¡¯s as well at the absurd news. ¡°Let¡¯s say the monsters did form an alliance. At best, it will be at the level of a small vige. In all my life, I have never heard of subracial monsters formingrge armies.¡± ¡°No one has ever tried going deep into the Pam teau. It is possible that highly-intelligent monsters have achieved a kingdom-scale of civilization, beyond small viges, without us being aware of it.¡± Max became pale and felt weak at the young knight¡¯s serious narration. Her body trembled in horror as tremendous numbers of monster armies plundering humans unfolded in her imagination. Even Lombardo¡¯s face hardened, sensing the severity of the situation. ¡°Is your information reliable?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rumor going around, it hasn¡¯t been confirmed. What¡¯s certain is that a monster army made of lizardmen, trolls, and red goblins have begun to do nned ransacks.¡± Gabel pondered, stroking his chin. ¡°Do you think Livadon can handle the situation?¡± The young knight anxiously shook his head, his eyes squinting, forming wrinkles on his face. ¡°I think there is a high possibility that each country in the seven kingdoms will soon dispatch knights.¡± ¡°If ites to that, then it is Whedon, their alliance in the west, which will be first called for reinforcements.¡± ¡°You mean¡­ the R-Remdragon Knights will go on an expedition to Livadon?¡± Max, who was listening intently to their conversation, suddenly interrupted. She knew that the topic was something she should not intervene with, but she felt impatient and couldn¡¯t help but ask. It was only then that Gabel noticed how pale herplexion was and shook his head quickly. ¡°The Remdragon Knights barely returnedst year after a three-year expedition. Even if there is a call for reinforcements, the extent of it will only be up to the Royal Knights, they¡¯ll be the ones dispatched. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee about that. ording to the wizards, this phenomenon ofrge-scale monster migration urred because of the evil army lurking in Pam teau, which swept the northern area. It¡¯s a serious problem that concerns the western continent. Obviously, even Anatol will be called for reinforcements. We have to prepare.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll discuss the matter when the Captaines back.¡± Sir Gabel red at the young knight who wasn¡¯t able to read the room. Max realized that he was trying to put an end to the conversation for her sake and got up in a hurry. ¡°He s-seems to be okay now¡­ I have to get up and g-get going first.¡± ¡°I will apany you to your room.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s okay. I can go by myself.¡± ¡°I insist. You need an escort even inside the castle.¡± Sir Gabel firmly responded and quickly walked towards the door. Max instructed Sir Lombardo to tell Ruth to check the patient again when he returned, as there was a possibility that there was leftover venom in his body, then she left the knight¡¯s quarters. The sun had set and the sky was tinted with a scarlet-orange shade. ¡°I heard that mdy suffered from excessive mana depletion the other day. Is your condition bad?¡± ¡°I-it was nothing. You don¡¯t have to worry¡­ I won¡¯t pass out again.¡± Gabel leaned down and carefully examined her face. Only when he saw that herplexion was still rosy, he nodded reassuringly and continued to walk. As they walked silently side by side, Max gazed anxiously at the distant mountain. After hearing the news of an army made up of monsters wreaking havoc, she could no longer afford to get stuck in the past when there were so many uncertainties in the future. She strongly felt the need to prepare herself for it. Just like today, someone could suddenly be poisoned or fatally injured, and in cases like that it was her that could answer pleas for help. It was her magic skills that saved the young knight from the doom of losing his arms forever. Riftan had said he didn¡¯t need her help, but that wasn¡¯t the case today. There is also something I can do. Max clung to that thought desperately. Her father instilled in her countless times the idea that she was a useless human being, but she proved him wrong today. No. It wasn¡¯t only that day. Since she came to Anatol, she had been desperately learning many things and improving herself. If she gave up all of that now, she would never escape her lifelong sense of inferiority. She would just be an ipetent failure for the rest of her life, just like her father said. Max, who was taking her steps with a thoughtful face, had a resolute glint in her eyes. *** Riftan didn¡¯t return to their room untilte. It seemed that they discussed the news brought by the young knight during their expedition in Livadon all night long. She had decided to wait for him to return and ask Riftan¡¯s ns for the future, but after long hours of waiting, she became exhausted from using her mana and could not withstand the fatigue she felt. Max, whoid down on the bed, at some point fell asleep like she had fainted. By the time she opened her eyes, the sun was high up in the sky. Her shoulders drooped as she saw the empty sheets next to her. Guarding the territory, road constructions, and even monsters¡­why can¡¯t the world leave my husband alone of its worries for a while? She sighed deeply, grasping her hair that was fluffy as a cloud with her right hand. ¡°Mdy, are you awake?¡± ¡°Rudis¡­¡± As always, the maid who was in perfect shape and had not a single hair out of ce, came into the room with a tray of food. Maxughed awkwardly, embarrassed that she overslept until noon. ¡°It¡¯s toote f-for me to say g-good morning, right?¡± ¡°The Lord had instructed me to be considerate and let mdy sleep as long as she needed. He said that mdy was tired¡­¡± Rudis ced the tray down on the shelf next to the bed with a gentle smile. All of a sudden, Max became worried about how Riftan would react if he knew that she used her magic to heal the young knight the day before. Would he be against it like he had been so far, or would he reluctantly admit that her magic helped? As she was lost in her thoughts, Rudis presented her a unique-smelling tea. ¡°The wizard handed me herbal leaves and said that it would help replenish mdy¡¯s mana.¡± Max took the teacup and her eyes widened. ¡°Ruth returned?¡± ¡°He gave me the pouch containing the teast night, instructing me to boil it when mdy woke up.¡± Rudis opened a leather pouch, showing dried leaves and well-groomed roots inside. Max was able to learn about medicinal herbs and was immediately aware of what the tea was made of. It was a mix of Mandragora roots and dried herbs. Max rolled her eyes. It seemed everyone knew about her magic performance of the day before, they must have discussed it together. Just what kind of things the wizard went around telling without her knowing? ¡°I should say t-thank you to him. Perhaps h-he¡¯s still in the castle?¡± ¡°The wizard?¡± Rudis tilted her head, cing one hand on her cheek, as if trying to scan her memory. ¡°I saw hime down to the kitchen this morning to eat, but after that¡­ Shall I go to the library and check?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll go b-by myself. I have something I want to ask him¡­¡± She murmured vaguely as she sipped and blew on her tea. After finishing the slightly bitter tea, Max simply filled her stomach with the meal Rudis brought and washed her face. She then headed straight to the library after fixing her hair and wearing a navy-blue silk dress by the seamstress. It had been a while since she saw Ruth, which made her feel a little ufortable. She opened the door slightly with a nervous face, expecting to hear a sarcasticment about her interrupting him, but the wizard was nowhere to be seen. She searched every corner, even behind the farthest shelf, to see if maybe he was hiding somewhere sleeping. When she saw no sign of him, even the books were neatly piled up, she sighed; it seemed like he had gone to the road construction site. It was a huge project, crossing the rugged mountain range, so there was no doubt that they would need a wizard to do more than a thing or two. She gazed at the window with a sullen face and then rearranged her thoughts. Even if Ruth wasn¡¯t around, she could still research on her own. She looked through the bookshelf and picked up a heavy as, recalling the words from the young knight. ¡®Pam teau¡­¡¯ She ced a thick book on top of the desk and flipped the pages, finding the name in the northwestern region. Max then ran her fingertips over a rough map. Pam teau was located at the far end of Livadon, in the northern area adjacent to Balto. She squinted her eyes at the squiggly letters written at the side of the map which were difficult to recognize. The brief description about the said region was that it was an uninhabited wastnd, due to its harsh climate and deste environment. Her forehead creased as she scrutinized the next page of the book for any exnation, but to no avail, she resigned and closed the nook. In the first ce, the young knights said that there was not much known about the ce, exining the reason why there was no detailed description in such an old book. Max quickly got rid of her disappointment and began to search the bookshelves again. Soon, she was able to find several books about monsters in a corner. She pulled them out, looked inside, and selected an encyclopedia with detailed drawings and sat down again by the desk. As she unfolded the heavy book daunted with an borate leather cover, a foul smell crept to her nose. Max went through the faded sheets of paper with her nose scrunched. She was able to find the names of the monsters she heard yesterday in the second chapter. ¡®Troll¡­¡¯ It was the name of the cannibal monster that was often heard in heroic bard stories. She looked down at the detailed illustration with narrowed eyes. The troll appeared terrifying with its rough skin reminiscent of a toad, giant arched nose, pointed ears, heavy muscr limbs, and a bulging stomach. The monster stared back at her with sunken eyes bent under swollen eyelids. Max, who was looking at the vivid picture, read the description right below. Max¡¯s shoulder unconsciously tensed as she read the scribbled words. Imagining an army made of strong cannibalistic giants who were intelligent enough to make tools sent shivers down her spine. ¡®It¡¯s okay, the distance between Pam teau and Anatol is great, almost to the continent¡¯s edges¡­¡¯ However, the fact that the rampaging monster army was far from Anatol did notfort her. After all, it was a situation that might demand her husband to leave for an expedition at a distant ce. Max anxiously bit her lips before turning to the next page. Drawings of goblins and ogres appeared one after another. She was focused reading the descriptions written underneath them when someone suddenly patted her shoulder making her jump out of her chair, taken by surprise.
Note ¨C Nymeria: Last chapter was edited and it has been proofread by me. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t do it before, I wasn¡¯t feeling good and our lovely LNH admin took over for me and edited it a bit for you guys! Anyway, I feel like this is a pivotal chapter for Maxi¡¯s development. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Trantor ¨C LF Proofreader ¨C Nymeria ¡°What, what is it? Why are you so surprised?¡± Max frowned when she saw that it was only Ruth, who ridiculously shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be i-innocent¡­ What do you expect when you sneak up on me like that!¡± ¡°Gods, who¡¯s sneaking up on who? I walked perfectly normally, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You have to at least make a s-sound.¡± ¡°Did I have to holler and say, ¡®Ruth the Great Wizard has arrived¡¯?¡± He retorted unwaveringly and pulled a chair across from her. Max couldn¡¯t figure out whether she shouldugh or get angry at Ruth¡¯s rude attitude. Even though they hadn¡¯t seen each other in a long time, Ruth¡¯s attitude remained the same. The wizard yawned wide, his face gloomy as usual, and then took the book from her hand, skimming through it. ¡°There are several wrong descriptions. Lizardmen are technically closer to being subspecies of dragons rather than being a sub-racial monster. Their bodies contain mana stones, and they can cast magic spells. There would be better details and exnation in Lord Calypse¡¯s records than this book.¡± ¡°Between d-dragon subspecies and s-sub-racial monsters¡­ is there a big d-difference?¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a big difference. Sharing amon ancestor with a dragon gives them powerful magical abilities, such as their unique dragon breath. They also have excellent anti-magic abilities, so a lot of magic spells don¡¯t work on them. That is what makes them so difficult to defeat.¡± He ced the book back on the desk and scratched his head in agony. ¡°Lizardmen are at a much higher levelpared to trolls. They are intelligent, can use magic, and have outstanding physical capabilities. Thus, they are hard to kill with either sword or magic. One of them is harder to deal with than ten trollsbined.¡± With a new impression, Max¡¯s eyes traced the drawing of a beast that looked like a lizard and a human fused together. It had a reptile-like face, a muscr body covered in scales, and a long tail. The strange beast did not appear as clever as he said. As she squinted her eyes to read the description below, wondering how dangerous of a monster it was, Ruth tapped the desk with his fingertips, as if trying to call her attention. ¡°By the way, what made you read through the book of monsters?¡± ¡°Yesterday¡­ I heard the news brought by the young knights. It made me wonder what kind of m-monsters he was talking about¡­¡± Ruth tapped the tip of his chin with a thoughtful expression and spoke. ¡°I was told that you healed an injured knight from werewolves¡¯ venom using detoxifying magic. You must have heard the news then.¡± Max nodded stiffly. ¡°North of Livadon¡­ I heard that t-there is an army of monsters r-ransacking viges. Will the Remdragon Knights¡­be involved in the e-expedition?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still too early to be certain. However, there is a possibility they will be called for reinforcements.¡± Max felt like all the blood drained from her body. Even though she was half-expecting that response, her heart still tightened at the thought of being separated from Riftan. She bit her lip, recalling the far distance of Pam teau. How long would the expedition take this time around? How many months? Perhaps even years? Ruth, seeing her paleplexion, added cautiously. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of work left in Anatol which the lord has to oversee. We have discussed it until the wee hours of the morning yesterday and we havee into conclusion that either Sir Hebaron or Sir Uslin will take and lead a part of the troops shall they be called for reinforcements.¡± ¡°I-Is that true?¡± Ruth nodded with a wry smile at Max¡¯s eager question, she was unable to hide the relief on her face. ¡°Unless it is inevitable, Lord Calypse will not leave Anatol for a long period of time. The road construction is a huge ie generating project. Moreover, it¡¯s been less than a year since the Red Dragon conquest, we can¡¯t leave the territory empty for several months again.¡± ¡°I-inevitable circumstances¡­ Are you saying Riftan will join the expedition in case that happens?¡± Ruth hesitated to answer her question but eventually confessed frankly. ¡°If the situation in Livadon takes the worse turn, Lord Calypse will have toe forward. Also, if King Ruben appoints Lord Calypse to join the expedition, it won¡¯t be easy for him to escape his order.¡± Ruth fumbled with his fingers, weighing the possibilities, and then sighed deeply. ¡°There are so many bothersome precepts that knights have to follow. ¡®Protect the weak, obey the monarch, and fulfill their duties to the way of the sword.¡¯ Lord Calypse is not an ardent believer of chivalry, however¡­ one cannot ignore thesemandments. It would damage the reputation that he has worked so hard to build. ¡° ¡°R-right¡­¡± Max¡¯s face darkened as she recalled the words of Princess Agnes about the king suspecting Riftan¡¯s loyalty. There was a chance that King Ruben would go to the extent of nominating him to join the expedition just to test him. The agreement made between the Seven Kingdoms was a treaty created for the sake of peace and safety of the continent¡¯s whole poption. It was made under the jurisdiction of courtws, even Riftan didn¡¯t have the power to easily defy it. Max gazed at the drawings of the hideous beasts through the book¡¯s pages and bit her lips ¡®til it hurt. Her stomach twisted as she imagined Riftan battling enormous armies of monsters. No matter how tremendously skilled a knight was, there was no guarantee that he would be safe or unharmed in battle. Several times, she had been made aware of Riftan¡¯s recklessness so she was certain that he wouldn¡¯t spare himself in battles, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to fight like hell in the front lines. She felt angrily emotional out of nowhere. Riftan was a hypocrite for being obsessively anxious about her safety but not caring a bit for his. What kind of absurd way of thinking did he have? Her lips were protruding due to her disgruntled mood, deeming it unfair that she was the only one who worried to her stomach. Ruth¡¯s calm voice suddenly broke her relentless thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll be joining the expedition too.¡± Max lifted her head. Ruth, who was staring at the ceiling with his arms crossed, spoke like he was lost in thought. ¡°A long journey going to Livadon will require a wizard. Whether it¡¯s Lord Calypse or another knight who will take the lead, it¡¯s no doubt that I will have to apany them. That would mean that Calypse Castle will need more of your magic skills than it does now.¡± ¡°My¡­ magic?¡± Max¡¯s eyes moved anxiously at his sudden remark. Ruth nodded at her with a serious expression. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not obligating you. Currently, Anatol has a considerable number of mercenaries. Surely, there are wizards among them. I can dly hire one of them, but it¡¯s too much of a trouble to get a mercenary wizard to settle down. In case there¡¯s no finding a skillful wizard, Lady Calypse would be the only one who can respond when an identes up just like yesterday.¡± He continued calmly, but then walked back and forth behind Max with hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m aware that mdy suffered a great deal during the ident. It was heavily my responsibility for not telling you what would happen if you depleted your mana. I wanted to apologize back then, but Lord Calypse had a certain glint in his warning eyes so I couldn¡¯t go find you¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. Ruth, you also had to leave in a h-hurry because of the wyvern attacks¡­ you couldn¡¯t have predicted what would happen.¡± ¡°No, I knew that there was a possibility of an ident happening because of those monsters. However, I didn¡¯t expect mdy to go to that extent in helping the wounded.¡± Max didn¡¯t have words to say at his extreme candor. ¡°W-well, that¡¯s the reason why I learned magic. To h-help¡­ in the event of an ident¡­ you taught me m-magic, right?¡± ¡°I did teach you with that intention in mind. But¡­I didn¡¯t expect you to actively do it.¡± He confessed with a shrug. Max was dumbfounded, her face slowly stiffening. She felt betrayed by the fact that the man who insisted for her to learn magic, did not expect much from her. Max stared at him coldly and noticed how Ruth was unusually timid. ¡°I apologize for underestimating mdy¡¯s sense of justice. You don¡¯t know how much I sincerely regretted teaching you. When I heard that you lost consciousness, I suffered from a guilty conscience all night.¡± ¡°Ruth¡¯s conscience i-is not that great¡­ i-it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that. I really, sincerely med myself for what happened.¡± Max didn¡¯t reply and simply red at him while Ruth scratched the back of his head in shame, perhaps seeing how she was truly offended. ¡°I realized again that there is nothing more dangerous than half knowledge. If you will give me a chance, I¡¯ll teach you everything you need to be careful with when using magic and how to deal with various crises¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t expect much¡­ from me¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. What I meant is that Lady Calypse exceeded my expectations. Mdy¡¯s response was beyond excellent. It was a bit over the top, although it wasn¡¯t that long since you started learning magic, you¡¯ve helped me as much as you can.¡± Max looked up at him, scrutinizing whether he was really speaking from the bottom of his heart. Ruth persuaded her calmly, confronting her with a sincere look in his eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re already fully recovered fromst time, I want to continue teaching you magic from where we left off. If mdy¡¯s skills improve from now on, I will be greatly relieved.¡± Max swallowed dryly at the increasing pressure she was put under. She also felt the need to polish her magical skills. She had been in Anatol for less than a year, yet she had already experienced two major idents. During the early days of winter, she took care ofrge numbers of injured people who were attacked by werewolves at a logging site and recently the attack of the wyverns at the road construction site. There was nothing that could assure her that it would never happen again. If she faced a situation where she had a lot of injuries to deal with and Ruth was not around, she wasn¡¯t confident that she would be able to properly resolve it. Max, who tried to measure her abilities coldly, shook her head. Her mana depleted after healing four or five people, her current skill-level was not enough. She wasn¡¯t sure how many months it would take for her to practice so she could be able to rece Ruth. Max gathered all her confidence and managed to barely utter the words out, like sand slipping off her mouth. ¡°Alright. If you t-teach me¡­ I¡¯ll do my best. Even though Riftan is against it¡­ I still want to k-keep learning how to use magic.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Come to the library whenever you have time. I¡¯ll be here unless I have to do something in particr.¡± He grinned with a satisfied expression and tapped Max on the shoulder. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 They wanted to start training right away, but because Ruth¡¯s schedule didn¡¯t allow it, it was decided that they would have started studying the following morning instead. Ruth picked up a couple of helpful books from the shelf and headed out with a bunch of parchments. Max, on the other hand, was left alone in the library and began to read a thick, faded book. The book the wizard had handed her was intermediate geometry. Her head swirled and her eyes grew weary at the book¡¯splexity, its content was difficult to understand. Max, who was earnestly flipping over the pages and scanning the bookshelves, had her eyebrows creased in concentration. After a while, she reached her limit of exhaustion andned her neck back. Without taking notice, the day had already gone by and the sky was tinted bright orange to a pale indigo. She massaged her stiff shoulders whilst gazing at the dark orange sun through the window, then closed the pages of the book and rose from her seat. Her stomach protested as her hunger rushed in. Thinking of it, she hadn¡¯t had any proper meal today, aside from a simple bread and soup. Max came out of the library, rubbing her groaning belly. In the hallway, servants were busy lighting up the candles. She gave them her habitual greeting and then slowly descended from the stairs. As she wasing down a couple of staircases, her eyes caught four servants carrying something beneath the railing. Max looked inadvertently and realized that what they were carrying was a blood-soaked armor, which made her harden her face. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on? Again¡­ Who got i-injured?¡± As she glided down the remaining steps, the servants who were carrying the heavy armor whimpered and stopped at their tracks. Max hastily spoke before they even got the chance to answer. ¡°Is¡­ is the l-lord i-injured?¡± Her eyebrows furrowed as her eyes inspected the breastte, tassels, and vambraces that were all soaked in dark blood: the pieces matched Riftan¡¯s armor. What in the world had happened that his armor ended up like this? Even if it wasn¡¯t his blood that soaked it, there sure was a lot of blood. ¡°Where is the l-lord¡­right now? Did he go up to the room?¡± Her face was flooded with confusion. ¡°Why¡­ are you washing all these outside?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ because¡­ we also don¡¯t¡­¡± As the servants stumbled upon their words, flustered, Max decided not to wait for their answers anymore and turned around. She had to see with her own eyes what was happening to properly understand and ran out to the courtyard at once. As she scanned therge, vacant lot, she saw workers splitting firewood, merchants passing by with carts full of thread, and maids pulling buckets of water from the well. Max¡¯s eyes narrowed as she saw Riftan standing next to the servants with his upper bodypletely naked as he was pouring water on his head. When two maids approached him, handing him a bucket filled with water, he took it and used the water to rinse his blood-stained hands. A clear gush of water soaked his long, thick nape and rushed down to his sturdy shoulders, smooth back, and slender waist. Witnessing the maids stealing nces at him and exchanging meaningful looks at the view of their Lord, Max angrily ran toward them with her face bright red. Riftan, who was rubbing his neck with his palms, widened his eyes at the sight of her approaching. ¡°Maxi¡­?¡± ¡°Why in a ce like this¡­ you are¡­¡± She was going to reprimand him for washing top-naked in a ce where lots of people could see, but seeing him made her lose her voice, as if someone tightened a rope around her throat. Max nced at his torso that shined like a golden statue in the dark reddish sun, his enormous body was tightly woven with exquisite and delicate muscles, and his golden-brown skin shone dazzlingly with a vibrant hue. She licked her dry lips. Even though she had seen his body a dozen times, her neck felt burning hot. ¡°I tracked down the monsters who attacked my knights in training and killed them.¡± Hearing his voice, Max raised her gaze that was wandering on Riftan¡¯s chest. He swept his jet-ck hair, which appeared darker as it was soaked in water, and spoke in a somewhat awkward tone. ¡°The encounter stained my whole body with blood so I¡¯m washing it off.¡± ¡°But you can go wash it in the r-room. I¡¯ll ask for a bath to be prepared r-right away¡­¡± ¡°But I was a mess. I¡¯m telling you, I looked like a ghoul.¡± He muttered under his breath, then a maid took the canteen he held and refilled it with water, so he poured it again on his head. Max took a step back to avoid the flowing water, while Riftan shook his head like a hound to dry himself off and took a sniff on his forearm. ¡°Damn, the bloody smell won¡¯t go away.¡± ¡°Th-then why don¡¯t you¡­ go up to the room. Clean it with soap, I¡¯m telling you¡­ it will go away.¡± She said, lightly wiping her face with the sleeves of her dress. Seeing that, Riftan moved away abruptly, as if burnt by fire. His sudden reaction made Max widen her eyes in response. Riftan¡¯s expression disyed irritancy and he spoke with a cautious tone. ¡°Don¡¯t get your clothes dirty for nothing. Werewolves¡¯ blood smells revolting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just c-clothes¡­ It¡¯ll be alright once I change.¡± With her loose sleeves, Max approached him to wipe the dripping water off his cheeks and nape. Riftan flinched, as if he was about to push her off, but then gently lowered his head. She smiled faintly at the way he was acting, like a pet pressing his head against his owner¡¯s hand, and swept the dripping hair away from his forehead. Riftan¡¯s earlobe seemed to be burning red and she thought it could be because of the sunlight, or perhaps, because he was developing a fever, so Max anxiously touched his forearm and frowned at how cold he was. ¡°Your body¡­ is cold. It¡¯s still cold¡­ in this weather¡­¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t bother me. There was a time in the middle of winter when I broke the ice on ake to wash my body¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be s-stupid. If you get a c-cold what are you going to d-do about it?¡± Riftan¡¯s eyes widened at Max¡¯s aggressive persistence. She timidly looked down, wondering if she had been presumptuous, but he simply picked up a drenched tunic. After wiping the blood off his body several times, he tossed the dingy cloth to the maids. ¡°Wash and soak it in lye. If the smell still lingers, then just go ahead and burn it.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Riftan nced at Max as the maids scurried to do theundry. ¡°Right, let¡¯s go inside.¡± She went to his side and followed him with relief written on her face. Riftan was soaked in so much water that in every step he took, he left a dark puddle on the ground. Looking down at them, Max spoke in a firm voice. ¡°From now on¡­e at once to the r-room. Don¡¯t do such t-thing outside.¡± ¡°And what, show up drenched in seven bags of blood and frighten you again?¡± Max frowned at his blunt response, but couldn¡¯t help feeling embarrassed when she realized he was talking about the time they were attacked by a horde of ogres. ¡°T-that was my first time¡­ seeing monsters¡­ I was overwhelmed.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± He muttered skeptically. It seemed like he knew what he was talking about and that Max was lying about what she really feared. She anxiously looked from side to side. ¡°Now¡­ I¡¯m not afraid of seeing blood anymore like before¡­ you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Riftan¡¯s expression grew darker at her words, particrly when she said that she wasn¡¯t afraid of blood anymore. He looked down at her with a piercing stare. ¡°I have no intention of making you get used to that kind of sight.¡± Max couldn¡¯t retaliate and kept her mouth shut. She felt a strange tension between them, it seemed like Riftan wanted to say something more, but she avoided his gaze and followed him into the castle. She trailed hesitantly as he crossed the hall and called a servant on standby. ¡°Listen, prepare water for a bath and bring it up to the room. Bring new clothes to change into too.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°After bathing, I intend to have my meal in the room. Prepare and bring it on time.¡± He bluntlymanded like a military and walked up the stairs quickly. Max grabbed the hem of her dress and hurriedly followed him. Riftan climbed two floors of stairs with wide, marching strides, and opened the door of the room, which was very warm since Rudis had already set fire in the furnace in advance. He carefully stepped inside avoiding the carpet and took off his boots. ¡°F*cking wolf cubs¡­ making a mess out of my good pair of boots.¡± She closed the door behind her and watched as Riftan cursed. There was a faint reeking off the dripping wet leather boots, which made him wrinkle his nose, and he threw them to a corner. Max picked up a towel and handed it to him. ¡°D-dry yourself¡­first.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I¡¯m going to take a bath anyway.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t stay wet w-while you wait for the bath water.¡± He nced at the pool of water beneath his feet, sighed, and took the towels from her. Max walked over to the firece and poked the firewood burning in the hearth with a steel rod to raise the temperature, then carefully threw in some more wood. When she heard some rustling sound behind her, she turned around to look over her shoulder and held her breath as she watched Riftan take off his wet pants. His perfectly shaped buttocks tightened as he bent his slender waist and his long, muscr legs were revealed. She thought of turning her back to be polite, but she couldn¡¯t budge, she felt like she had be a statue. Max stared nkly at him, as if her brain had been short-circuited. For the past few weeks, she barely managed to see her husband¡¯s face once a day, she couldn¡¯t even remember thest time she had felt his body grind on top of her to fulfill her pleasures. Having thoughts filled with desire, Max¡¯s chest pounded, and her cheeks turned hot. At that moment, Riftan turned to look at her, as if feeling her lustful gaze. Max quickly turned around and picked on the firewood, like there was suddenly something interesting in the firece. She felt embarrassed being caught drooling over her husband¡¯s nakedness, her ears tinting red. Please, get it together and don¡¯t act like a pervert starved for pleasure! I mean, behave quietly and gracefully, like a woman from a noble family¡­ As Max scolded herself internally, she heard a tight voice over shoulder. Note ¨C Nymeria: Guys, first time I can rte to Maxi this much, she¡¯s T H I R S T Y lmaoo Chapter 167 Chapter 167 ¡°¡­give me one more towel.¡± The bass that came with his deep voice sent shivers down her spine and made all the hair in her body stand. Max picked up a towel and handed it to him, struggling to keep her gaze lowered. Riftan took it in slow motion, soaked the cloth in a basin, and began to lightly wipe his sticky legs. Max turned her back, avoiding his figure, and touched the hem of her dress awkwardly. However, all her nerves screamed for him. Max licked her dry lips. Her fingertips tingled with the desire to look at him and touch him with all her heart. After moments of pushing down embarrassing fantasies and holding herself back, she thought of how it would feel to touch her husband. Didn¡¯t Riftan say that it¡¯s natural for couples to long for each other? Max impulsively approached behind him and gently ced her hands against his smooth, hard back. Riftan stiffened at the touch and roughly pulled her away. ¡°¡­don¡¯t be like this.¡± His growling voice frightened Max, making her take a step back. Thinking that he rejected her, her face almost turned purple. ¡°S-Sorry¡­¡± As her eyes dropped to the floor, not knowing what to do, Riftan groaned weakly and embraced her in his arms. ¡°Yesterday, you used up your mana to save a knight. What if you overwork yourself and drop to the ground like before?¡± As if he was trying to sooth her, he stroked her hair with his wet palm. Max exhaled with a trembling sigh at the feeling of his hot skin against her thin clothes. A feeling of ecstasy flooded her. His body smelled like fish blood, musk, and horses that couldn¡¯t be washed away. It was an odor that would never be associated with being fragrant, but to her, Riftan¡¯s smell was fascinating. ¡°I-I am fine. I didn¡¯t consume¡­that much mana¡­I had e-enough rest¡­I¡¯vepletely recovered now.¡± Riftan nodded and made a sore sound whilst rubbing his nose against her chest. He muttered impatiently, his fingers fiddling with her braided hair. ¡°¡­I have been holding back for a long time, I don¡¯t think I can do it gently.¡± Max tilted her head. Has he ever been gentle? She didn¡¯t remember well. At first, he would carefully and slowly pleasure her, but once he connected with her, he would pick up pace like a lunatic. Reminiscing how insanely pleasurable those moments were, Max looked up at him teasingly. ¡°¡­you don¡¯t have to do it g-gently¡­it¡¯s okay.¡± At those words, Riftan¡¯s self-control was shattered. He hugged her tightly and, in a sh, ravenously devoured her lips. Max wrapped her fingers in his wet, slippery, ck hair. His lips tasted like fresh water. She pressed her wet tongue against his mouth and locked it together with his, pulling his head closer. Riftan groaned weakly, wrapping his hand around her breasts, rubbing the flesh beneath the smooth silk. At once, a tingling heat rose from her belly. She unconsciously pushed her chest further against his palm. Then, against their gasping, a sigh came out from Riftan¡¯s lips which was close to hers. ¡°Damn it¡­ you are seriously so pretty. I can hardly hold back.¡± Max looked up at him with confusion, like he just said that the moon was green. Riftan caressed her cheeks with his lips, pulling down the neckline of her dress and slipped his hand inside her dress. As his rough palm softly rubbed her tender flesh, a thrilling excitement washed over her. She groaned weakly, her lips trembling. As Riftan looked down at her, he muttered ecstatically. ¡°Every time I touch you, I go crazy. How can someone¡¯s body be like this? It¡¯s so soft, like it would melt¡­ from your fingertips to your toes nothing¡¯s not pretty.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not¡­¡± Her thoughts ran astray as he pulled her bodice, revealing one of her breasts. He stroked her mound with his cheek and then caressed her rosy breast with his mouth, flicking her nipples with his hot, damp tongue. She clung desperately to his neck, shuddering in pure pleasure. Riftan groped her ass and positioned her perfectly against his extremely thrilled body. Max, who was shivering to his naked touch, nced anxiously at the door. ¡°Ri¡­Riftan¡­slowly¡­the water for the b-bath¡­it mighte¡­¡± ¡°You should have thought of that before seducing me.¡± ¡°I-I did not seduce¡­ah¡­I did not. I-it wasn¡¯t a temptation¡­¡± ¡°You pleaded for me to hug you and stole me as if you wanted to swallow me. If that¡¯s not temptation, then what is?¡± He loosened the straps of her dress and lowered it down to her waist. Max looked down with a flushed face as he sprinkled tiny kisses all over her t stomach. Her legs melted away as if the bones in them disappeared. Riftan pulled the dress down to her knees, spread her legs, and buried his head in between. She stumbled, lustfully mewling, and copsed on his shoulders. Her knees shook and her hamstrings tingled. He gently rubbed the sensitive area and sucked in the tender flesh inside her thighs. Max¡¯s toes curled and she wept like a baby. Her whole body flushed red and pink, and her reasoning waspletely burned away by pleasure. She shook her head like crazy and her body trembled helplessly. He skillfully intensified her pleasure even without pushing his fingers and tongue deep into her. By the time she was about to reach the climax, a sudden knock was heard. ¡°Master, the bath water is prepared.¡± Riftan raised his head. Max grabbed him as he tried to get up and smacked him, he shouldn¡¯t stop leaving her in that state. Just a bit more and he would relieve her from this tension, but he mercilessly stopped his ministrations and pushed her onto the bed. ¡°Endure it for a bit, hm?¡± ¡°N-no.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. I don¡¯t want to do it hastily just to get the job done.¡± As if he were soothing her, he gently patted her stomach and brushed his lips against her temple. Max looked up at him with damp eyes, trembling pathetically like a newborn doe. Riftan looked down at her, held his breath, and then kissed her fiercely. Then, as if barely finding the will, he covered her body with a nket and swiftly put on a nightgown himself. ¡°Do it quickly.¡± As he opened the door, the servants came in with a steaming bathtub. Max hid beneath the sheets, her palms against her burning breasts. It felt like hours as the maids adjusted the water¡¯s temperature, put extra water by the firece, and ced clothes, soap, and towels on top of the cab. Riftan also shouted ferociously as if he was as impatient as she was. ¡°Done, hurry and get out.¡± ¡°W-we¡¯re sorry.¡± The servants left the room with confused faces, holding empty basins. As soon as she heard the door close, Max rushed to Riftan¡¯s side. He grabbed and clung to her, cing her between his knees. Max flipped his nightgown and wrapped her legs around his bare waist. A hard flesh pushed smoothly inside her and filled her tightly to the brim. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Her spine tingled. She looked at him with hazy eyes, thrilled by the heat. The man¡¯s face, overwhelmed with passion, looked terrifyingly fierce yet fragile at the same time. He embraced her tightly and trembled like a man who endured terrible suffering. But Max couldn¡¯t wait any longer. She moved her waist and tinkered with his body. Riftan puffed and inhaled heavily, holding her pelvis tightly with both hands, deep creases forming in his forehead. ¡°W-wait! W-wait a second! Maxi¡­¡± ¡°R-Riftan¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t wait¡­¡± As he tried to calm her down, he swept her slick back with his palms. ¡°I want to be as gentle as possible. If¡­ If you get hurt¡­¡± Max stared at him irritably. She was sick of him saying that. She bit his lips and lustfully moved her body against him aggressively. Riftan¡¯s body hardened, and soon began to lie down on the bed, thrusting and digging her from the bottom. She sobbed as she clung to his body like a snake, his fiery desire quickly overwhelming her heat. He lowered her head and sucked her chest, moving vigorously. Max felt like she was riding a stallion on full power, and she couldn¡¯t handle it. Unable to keep up with his speed, a convulsion arose in her thighs, and between her legs, as if they were burning on fire. Shepletely lost control over her body, twisting and weeping. The moment she thought that it wasing to an end, he would push her up to a higher level of pleasure. Unable to endure the intense pleasure surging through her body, she instinctively struggled to get out of his arms. Then, Riftan bit her earlobe and groaned fiercely. ¡°No. You drove me this far. You have to deal with it until the very end.¡± ¡°W-wait¡­ Wait¡­ I-I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°You can.¡± He gasped rapidly between his teeth and moved like crazy. For a moment, her eyes rolled back, and her whole body bent like a taut bow. She screamed and her body jerked. Riftan¡¯s back also hardened, and he shivered in pleasure. They embraced each other like one body and waited for the perfect climax to subside, then he muttered with a haft-lost voice. ¡°Oh, heavens¡­ I don¡¯t even know where I am¡­¡± Max raised her sweaty face with an anxious look. ¡°Did it feel¡­bad?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way it was bad. I¡¯d go and catch another dragon to experience again what I just experienced.¡± He smiled and gently kissed her on the shoulder. Max reassuringly hugged his head and pressed her face against the nape of his neck. Riftan rose from the bed andughed as if he were being tickled. ¡°We can¡¯t waste the bath water they prepared.¡± He then strode over and soaked in the bathtub. Max sighed at the contact of lukewarm water against her scorching skin. He scooped up some water and poured it over her neck and shoulders, then gently sucked her wet skin with his lips. ¡°Your skin is always soft and moist; it feels good.¡± ¡°I have a lot of f-freckles¡­I don¡¯t want you to see¡­¡± ¡°It looks as if you¡¯re sprinkled with sugar, it¡¯s appetizing.¡± As if to prove his im, Riftan licked the faint brown freckles on her shoulder. Max¡¯s throat tightened and her face blushed. He giggled and kissed her cheeks as well. ¡°I like it when you turn red so quickly like a peach.¡± Max rolled her eyes. As she listened to his words, she really wondered if she somehow managed to look good. Riftan¡¯s taste must have deviated from what was generally deemed as beautiful. ¡°Are you ufortable anywhere?¡± ¡°N-no. As I said, I¡¯m okay.¡± He looked carefully, sweeping the hair away from her face. Max sighed as he continued to worry. ¡°R-really, it¡¯s nothing. Back then¡­ I healed a lot of seriously injured people¡­ t-that¡¯s why I depleted my mana and fainted. If I do not do as much as back then¡­ It¡¯s alright.¡± Riftan gave her a thoughtful look as she spoke. ¡°Ruth said you did so well that there was nothing left for him to do. The young knight told me that he was so blessed and asked to thank you.¡± This was the first time that Riftan acknowledged her magic abilities. Max looked up at him with fluttering eyes full of joy. ¡°I¡¯m d¡­ that I was of h-help.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, it was a big help.¡± While responding so gently, Riftan had aplex expression. Max¡¯s mood subsided quickly at the ambiguous face he had. Would it be okay to tell him that she was learning magic again from Ruth? Max looked at his face and firmly closed her lips. It was useless to bring that up, and she didn¡¯t want to break the intimate air for the time being. In fact, he didn¡¯t exactly tell her to stop learning magic, so it should be okay as long as she didn¡¯t do anything reckless. As Max rationalized her actions, she set the unpleasant feeling aside. For now, she just wanted to fully enjoy that pleasant time.
Note ¨C Nymeria: Just chef kiss. Both spouses longing for each other without any embarrassment and beingfortable about it, Maxi finally expressing her desire for her husband and Riftan acknowledging her merit with the healing magic. Such a big yes from me. Announcement: From now on we¡¯ll use Sakura-chan¡¯s spanish trantion as raw alongside the original korean to speed up the trantion process. We¡¯re grateful to them for letting us use their work! ?? Chapter 168 Chapter 168 The next morning, Max ran to the library as soon as she finished grooming herself. Ruth hade backst night and she saw him sleeping next to the brazier. She frowned as she looked down at the man lying like a corpse. There were various rooms where he could sleepfortably just three floors below the library, but it was too tiring for him to make such an effort, and she felt sorry for the man who slept on the stone-cold floor all the time, looking sad and pathetic. Max looked around, picked up a kindling on the wall and poked him on the back. ¡°Ruth, it¡¯s morning¡­ wake up.¡± ¡°Hng¡­ ¡° Ruth grunted annoyed and turned his back to her, wearing his cape all the way to his head. Max continued to poke his back like a grumpy kid pushing a wiggling caterpir. ¡°Come on, w-wake up¡­ as soon as I opened my eyes this morning¡­ I came here right away.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I wish you came an hourter¡­¡± He squinted his eyes narrowly and looked up at her with a frown. ¡°Did you just poke me like firewood with that?¡± Max quickly hid the kindling behind her back. Ruth opened his eyes like he was fully awake and then leapt up to his feet and snapped. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it before, but aren¡¯t you treating me so harshly?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just carelessly touch the hair or b-body of a s-sleeping man, right?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you at least do it in a more polite manner!¡± He looked at her displeasingly and sighed. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll prepare for ss.¡± Ruth began to tidy up the parchment and bookshelves on the floor. Max felt a little sorry and quietly helped him clean up. He gathered parchment papers with dense writing, rolled them up, tied them with a leather string, and threw them into arge box. ¡°Did you read all the books I rmended yesterday?¡± ¡°Only half of them¡­ I couldn¡¯t read the others.¡± ¡°Did you finish studying element theory?¡± ¡°N-not yet¡­¡± He squinted and stroked his chin. ¡°It¡¯s hard to learn defensive and offensive magic without having a basic understanding of geometry and elemental theory. At the least, you should read all of the books I¡¯ve rmended.¡± ¡°I will read a l-little more.¡± Max replied with an interested face. ¡°When I finish reading the books¡­will I be able to learn how to attack with magic?¡± ¡°I thought it would be better for you to learn some basic self-defense magic first.¡± Ruth shrugged his shoulders. ¡°When you are in a dangerous situation likest time, you should have at least a means to protect yourself.¡± Max nodded sullenly as she recalled the wyvern¡¯s attacks. Ruth leaned back and looked at the ceiling with a contemting face, then snapped his fingers. ¡°Fine. Today, let¡¯s train you to master the magic you¡¯ve learned so far. I have asked the apprentices to collect the necessary ingredients.¡± ¡°I-ingredients?¡± When Max asked with a curious face, Ruth gave a soft ominous smile. ¡°It¡¯s a special material that will help greatly improve thedy¡¯s skill.¡± Max had an anxious expression written on her face. Just what in the world is he up to? She nced at Ruth dubiously as he packed something into a sack he had ced under the desk and walked straight out of the door. Her steps were reluctant as she followed him. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to get the materials I told the apprentices to get.¡± ¡°What kind of i-ingredient is that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know once you see it.¡± Ruth hummed and went out of the castle at once. Max stopped bombarding him with questions: as Ruth said, she would be seeing it for herself soon. She swallowed the anxiety in her throat as they passed through the long promenade and a wooden building emerged. Two elm trees towered on both sides of the antique building like gatekeepers. In front of the building were three boys, including Garrow and Yulysion, sparring with wooden swords. Ruth waved one hand at them and greeted them loudly. ¡°Greetings, everyone.¡± ¡°Sir Wizard!¡± The apprentice knightsid down their wooden swords and turned their heads towards them. ¡°We were going to visit as soon as we finished the morning training. You asked yesterday¡­¡± Yulysion, who was speaking cheerfully while wiping his sweaty face, found Max standing behind Ruth and his eyes opened wider. He hurried to her and started chatting happily. ¡°Thedy is here too! How are you? It¡¯s such a relief that you have regained your health! You don¡¯t know how very worried I have been. I should have been able to protect you better¡­Are you feeling well now?¡± ¡°Yuly, calm down. You¡¯re embarrassing thedy.¡± The teenage boy Garrow looked at her as he called out Yulysion for his behavior, then smiled politely and talked with a softer tone. ¡°Greetings, Lady Calypse.¡± ¡°G-greetings. I-It¡¯s been a while¡­ since we¡¯ve seen each other, both of you.¡± ¡°But what is mdy doing here? Does mdy have anything to ask us?¡± Yulysion asked, his eyes shining likenterns. Ruth stated his business on behalf of Max, who found herself in a bind. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up what I asked for yesterday. It¡¯s for thedy¡¯s magic training.¡± ¡°Ah! So that was what mdy needed! Kindly wait for a moment. I¡¯ll bring it right away.¡± Yulysion quickly jumped into the outbuilding while Max looked bewilderingly at the dark entrance. After a while, he came out with arge bucket in his hands. Ruth, who received the bucket, lifted the cover and nodded with a satisfied expression. Just what is that? Max, intrigued by it, looked over his shoulder and into the bucket. Inside therge container was full of something like a reddish piece of flesh. She was terrified and took steps back in response. ¡°W-what in the world is that!¡± ¡°This is a special helper that will be crucial in training you on your detoxification magic.¡± Ruth grinned, reached into the bucket and lifted the thing, which had the size of his palm. It was arge reddish-brown toad with ck spots on its back. The dead toad¡¯s ck limbs drooped down weakly. Max shuddered at the sight of the creature. ¡°W-what in the world are you going to do¡­ with that?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to do the so-called ¡®detoxification magic special training.¡¯ This ck spotted swamp toad is very poisonous. If you practice with this, you¡¯ll be able to decipher drawing out most of the poison at once.¡± He shook the dead toad in anticipation. Max¡¯s stomach curled at the sight of its swaying, long, slimy limbs. She stepped back and looked at the path she hade. She wanted to turn back and run away but Yulysion and Garrow were looking so curiously that it was difficult for her to escape from the situation. Didn¡¯t you pretend to be bold in front of them the other day and brag with all kinds of stories? Max bit her lips with a calm face and gulped. ¡°W-with that frog¡­ What kind of training are you nning to do? P-perhaps¡­ Are you thinking of poisoning someone for an experiment?¡± ¡°No way. Who would cooperate with such a foolish method of training?¡± Heughed lightly and turned his head towards the apprentices. ¡°Someone bring me a bucket of water. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a pot, brass bowl, or basin. Just bring it with plenty of water. ¡° ¡°I¡¯ll bring it.¡± Garrow looked at him with an excited expression on his face and stepped forward. While he was in the outbuilding getting the water, Ruth counted how many toads were there by cing them on a tree stump one by one. A total of 31 toads were counted. Max was on the verge of throwing up, but the wizard let out a burst of admiration. ¡°How did you manage to catch so many of these in just one day?¡± ¡°I used a dead rabbit as a bait. If you put a rabbit or a bird near the swamp, they will surely flock around it.¡± Yulysion exined with a proud voice. ¡°When the swamp toad had gathered, at that moment, I pulled up the I had set beforehand and caught them all at once.¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Ruth struck his palm with his fist and poured out endlesspliments. Max murmured deeply, saying she didn¡¯t want to know much about how to catch a swamp toad. ¡°Will this be enough?¡± While they talked about how to collect toads, smanders, and various poisonous worms, Garrow returned with a bucket of sshing water. Ruth took the bucket and nodded his head with satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡± Max watched his actions with curiosity. He lowered the bucket by the base of the tree stump and picked up a toad. Then, he took a small knife out of his bag and stabbed it deep into the toad¡¯s back. ck essence flowed from the opening of the toad¡¯s body and fell onto the clear water. ¡°Now, try purifying this water.¡± ¡°Here¡­ do you mean I have to u-use detoxification magic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a well-known method used by magicians to master detoxification magic.¡± Max looked down through the bucket. A gooey liquid from the toad¡¯s body spread like ink in the water. As she hesitantly ced her hands over it and increased her magic power, she felt a faint sense of resistance. Max tilted her head. The feeling was obviously different from applying magic to the human body, and it was vague to know where to draw the magic form. As she struggled for a long time not grasping the sensation, Ruth, who was watching silently, gave her some advice. ¡°Try injecting mana in a circr motion, from the edge to the center. Once you¡¯ve got the trick, it¡¯ll be easier than casting a spell on a human body.¡± Max followed as he instructed and let her mana flow from the edge of the surface. The blue energy from the palm of her hand slowly began to purify, focusing on the ck energy in the water and drawing it into the center, slowly cleansing. After a long time, the water that had been contaminated with a cloudy tint returned to its clear color. Ruth nodded as he tasted the water with his fingertips. ¡°Well done. One thing to note is that you¡¯ve wasted too much mana, but you¡¯ll be able to work on that with repeated practice.¡± ¡°Are we repeating t-this exercise¡­ over and over again?¡± ¡°You have to do it over and over again.¡± Ruth said firmly and threw the toad¡¯s corpse to the base of the tree stump. ¡°These toads were caught eagerly by these apprentices, so why not make use of all of them meaningfully?¡± Max looked at the bucket filled with toads with a paleplexion. Do I have to keep going until they¡¯re all used? Her shoulders drooped unexcitedly while Yulysion, who wasn¡¯t able to read the room, dered proudly. ¡°I¡¯ll catch them again so mdy can use as many as she wants. To serve thedy is a great pleasure and an honor to a knight.¡± ¡°Next time, please catch a long-tailed lizard.¡± ¡°Please leave it to me! I¡¯ll find you as many as you want, there are plenty of them in the west cave.¡± Yulysion eximed confidently, tapping his chest with his fist and she smiled stiffly. Before Ruth left for the expedition, it really seemed like he was making sure to improve her skill. Without hesitation, he picked up one more toad. A long tongue hung from the dead toad¡¯s mouth. Max barely swallowed the vomiting up her throat as he chopped off the tongue with a dagger and held it out in front of her. ¡°Would you like to try it yourself this time?¡± Max¡¯s shoulder stiffened, she wanted to shake her head in disagreement, but the apprentices watched her with anticipation so she couldn¡¯t show a sign of disgust. She eventually epted the wet, slippery toad with tightly closed eyes. The cold, soft, texture made goosebumps travel all over her body. It was the worst texture that she had ever touched in her life. Max flipped the body of the toad, holding back the urge to throw it away. Ruth ced a dagger in her hand and pointed with his fingertip on a spot just under the head of the toad. ¡°Now, with the knife¡­ you can stab this part deeply and cut it long.¡± Max hesitated for a while, and then pushed the dagger into the toad¡¯s cold body. Its skin was tougher than she had thought, so she had to exert more strength with her harm for it to budge. As her hands rattled and barely slit the toad¡¯s back, a ck, sticky liquid oozed. She was in a hurry to throw the toad away and finally reach the end of this experience, but Ruth mercilessly gave the next order. ¡°Now squeeze the toad. There should be enough poison flowing out.¡± The next time she found that wizard sleeping, she swore deeply to her heart that she would poke a hole in his back with a kindling.
Note ¨C Nymeria: Okay I¡¯m vomiting here. Ruth¡­ YUCK! Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Max was only able to return to her room after Ruth left for the construction site. She was exhausted. She washed her hands thoroughly at the well, but the slimy texture of toads seemed to remain. The moment she returned to her room, she stripped off her toad-spattered dress and bathed with hot water, scrubbing with soap and sponge from head to toe. However, it still didn¡¯t help, her entire body still felt disgusting. How many more times do we need to do this disgusting training? The wizard did not appear to have any mercy. The following time, he would probably have her practice with poisonous lizards, tarants, or even snakes. Max rubbed the goose bumps on her forearms and vowed to do her best to advance on her training as soon as possible. To do that, she had to first master her understanding of basic magic theories. After rinsing her body clean, Max put on new,fortable and fluffy clothing, then sat down in front of her desk. She searched through the drawers and took out books, parchment, and ink to start studying. Rudis, who was by the firece heating a kettle, approached her with a steaming cup of tea. ¡°The wizard provided this tea. Please have some.¡± She gave the maid a grateful look and took a sip of the hot liquid. The bitter tea had a refreshing scent that seemed to help repel her nasty experience earlier. She drank the tea carefully while reading her heavy textbooks page by page. Although she was terribly exhausted after using a considerable amount of mana and longed badly to rest, Max didn¡¯t budge. She didn¡¯t want to waste a single precious second. She had nned to convince Ruth to teach her defensive and offensive magic by tomorrow and somehow managed to read all her assignments by the end of the day. ¡°Mdy, it¡¯s Rodrigo, may I have a moment of your time?¡± Max was three-quarters done with the textbook she was reading when she heard the butler¡¯s voice and a soft knock on the door. She raised her head from the page she was reading and gave him permission. ¡°You maye in.¡± Rodrigo opened the door carefully, stepped inside, and bowed with practiced grace. ¡°I apologize for interrupting your rest.¡± ¡°You d-don¡¯t have to apologize¡­May I know what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°There are guestsing to visit the Lord. They will be staying in the castle for about two days. I thought I should inform mdy in advance.¡± ¡°Guests¡­? From wh-where have they t-traveled?¡± Max asked, her face reflecting her confusion. Rodrigo¡¯s face slightly lit up with embarrassment. ¡°The Lord did not disclose to me where the guests areing from. He simply instructed to prepare rooms for three knights, baths and hot meals¡­¡± Max¡¯s eyebrows creased with anxiety. Could it be an order for reinforcements? A messenger from the royal family? Barely three days have passed since we received the news about the monster attacks¡­ ¡°ording to the Lord¡¯s orders¡­ he asked for the rooms to be prepared on the second floor. Also, to instruct the kitchen in taking care of the guests¡¯ meals.¡± ¡°I see.¡± As the butler bowed in exit, Max sat by the window and looked out intently over the gardens. Soon after, five men on horseback entered the estate. She could barely recognize their faces in the distance but the two men leading the entourage appeared to be escorts from the Remdragon Knights and the following three were the guests Rodrigo had mentioned. Max squinted, trying to decipher the emblem printed on the orange triangr g they were carrying. The emblem on the g was far from the golden bird representing the royal family, yet looked familiar, so she guessed that it belonged to another noble family of Whedon. She gave up trying to figure out which family that coat of arms belonged to and stood up. Asdy of the castle, she had to wee them, especially if one of them was a messenger from the royal family. Max called for Rudis to quickly put her hair up in a neat manner and left the room in a hurry. As she flew down the stairs, she saw Riftan enter the castle with the guests. Her eyes trailed his cold, solemn face, and then switched to observe the guests that followed behind him. Two young men and a burly middle-aged man were looking cautiously around the hall. Seeing their wary expressions, Max gauged that their visit was not for a simple camaraderie. She approached the men with a rather tensed expression. ¡°Riftan¡­ I heard that there are guestsing¡­¡± Riftan¡¯s eyebrows creased and he visibly frowned as he saw her figure. He crossed the hall at once and went to her, twirling her still-damp hair. ¡°You should be resting, don¡¯t let this interrupt you. These men are from Ruigen. They will be leaving in two days; you don¡¯t have to worry about them.¡± Max was bewildered at his tant, inhospitable words despite being in front of the guests. She nced at their direction but didn¡¯t see any sign of them being offended. The middle-aged man approached her with a calm expression and kissed the back of her palm to show his courtesy. ¡°Greetings, mdy. My name is Aaron Levaier. We came under the order of Count Robern.¡± ¡°P-pleasure to meet you, Sir Levaier¡­ I sincerely hope your stay here isfortable.¡± Count Robern was one of the king¡¯s vassals, he ruled a vast amount ofnd not far from Anatol. Max eyed them with curiosity as she wondered why the Count sent his knights. At that moment, Riftan¡¯s sharp voice resounded. ¡°Hey, did you travel this far just to flirt with someone else¡¯s wife?¡± ¡°I was just giving my regards.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we have urgent matters to discuss? Don¡¯t waste time and go up.¡± Riftan turned and walked up the stairs. The knights sighed, bowing politely to Max, and followed him into his office. Max felt dejected for being pushed aside and trudged back to her room. Riftan did not return to their room untilte at night. Max pinched her thighs to keep herself from falling asleep and ran to him the moment he entered the room. Riftan¡¯s face appeared weary as he opened the door, his eyes widening as he saw his wife still awake. ¡°What are you doing, why are you still awake and not sleeping?¡± ¡°I was waiting for you toe¡­b-back. I wanted to know what was going on¡­¡± He frowned as he pulled out a chair to sit on and began to take off his armor. Max hung a kettle over the firece and set up a basin for him to wash in. Then, she walked over behind him and ced her hands on his waist to help him undress. Riftan, who was in the middle of unraveling his vambraces, awkwardly pushed her hands away. ¡°I can do it myself, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°¡­ To serve her husband¡­It is the w-wife¡¯s duty¡­¡± Max¡¯s face heated, wondering if her words were too tant. There had been countless times he took care of her, yet she had only reciprocated it a couple of times. She spoke again, hurriedly adding to her statement, as if to make excuses. ¡°You¡¯re too busy¡­ you leave early at dawn ande backte after midnight¡­ O-on the other hand, I don¡¯t have much to do¡­ Wives have to make sure their h-husbands restfortably, I want to take care of Riftan too.¡± Max didn¡¯t wait for his response and stubbornly took the heavy pieces of armor with her hands. She staggered at the heavy weight and barely managed to maintain her posture as she waddled over to the wall where she hung the chainmail, and propped his breastte against the wall, cing his greaves neatly on top of it. Although she had traveled only 10 steps, her forehead was drenched in sweat. She wondered how in the world Riftan walked around so quietly wearing heavy pieces of metal in his body. ¡°Leave it alone.¡± Riftan quickly dissuaded her when she tried to pick up the scabbard containing his sword. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to lift that.¡± Max looked up and down at the sword that was practically stuck to his waist. Compared to those huge ymores that other knights carry on their back, Riftan¡¯s sword appeared to be average in size. His sword stretched to approximately 4 kvets (about 120 cm) and neither the handle nor the scabbard held any ornate leather decoration. It didn¡¯t look heavy at all and Max confidently refuted it. ¡°W-well¡­ I may not be able to swing it¡­ but I can at least lift it¡­¡± Riftan pulled the sweat-soaked tunic over his head. He eyed her slender wrists skeptically and arched an eyebrow. ¡°You can¡¯t lift it.¡± He said again, his tone filled with certainty. Max ignored his upromisingments and ced her hand around the sword¡¯s hilt with a stern expression on her face. However, just as Riftan predicted, with precision, she could barely lift the sword from the ground, let alone carry it somewhere. Surprised by the unexpected heaviness, she desperately gripped the hilt with all her might. Her wrists trembled as if they were going to break and almost dropped the sword to the ground. Her face reddened as she exerted effort, the sword lifting barely a finger off the ground. ¡°S-see, I can lift it.¡± ¡°You call that a lift?¡± Riftan clicked his tongue and then took the de from her hands. ¡°Hand it over to me, you might get injured.¡± He handled the source with light movements and leaned it against his side of the bed like it was light as a feather. Max was stunned as he looked at him with amazement. She wondered how he could easily do that. ¡°Are¡­ all swords usually that heavy?¡± ¡°My sword is much heavierpared to average bastard swords. The de was made wider and heavier using a special casting method to enhance its power. At first, I also had a hard time wielding it.¡± He exined with a subtle smile as he washed his face in the basin with the water Max prepared and wiped his body with a towel. Max took a change of clothes from the trunk and ced it next to him, carefully choosing her words as she spoke. ¡°May I ask why¡­ the Count sent his knights¡­? Riftan nodded calmly and rubbed his nape with a towel. ¡°He sent them to form an alliance. He¡¯s bing anxious of the increasing monster attacks in hisnds.¡± ¡°An a-alliance?¡± ¡°He seeks for the help of the Remdragon Knights in subduing the monsters running rampant in his territory. In return, he would pay us generously and actively support the road construction in Anatol.¡± Max breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that it wasn¡¯t an order for reinforcements from the royals. ¡°So¡­ are you nning to ept¡­ the a-alliance with Count Robern?¡± ¡°I said that I will think about it. It¡¯s not a bad proposition, but I don¡¯t think it will be worth it to disperse Anatol¡¯s military power¡­¡± ¡°Is it because soon¡­ you will leave for an expedition?¡± Riftan, who was washing his hands with soap, paused and turned his head to look at Max. She added hastily. ¡°I¡­ I heard that the monsters from the n-north are attacking¡­ and the Remdragon knights¡­ might have to be r-recruited¡­¡± ¡°Who told you about those useless stories?¡±, Riftan asked sharply. Max flinched and hesitantly muttered. ¡°I¡­ happened to overhear the knights¡­ when I was treating them¡­¡±. She didn¡¯t dare to add that Ruth had exined in detail what his ns were, it was obvious that it would spark an argument. Riftan sighed, clicked his tongue, and lightly threw his towel on a chair. ¡°We still have to gauge how the situation progresses before I can decide whether to go or not.¡± ¡°If¡­ once the order for reinforcements is issued¡­¡± Max swallowed dryly. Even though she already knew from Ruth that they were nning to send another knight to lead, she still wanted to confirm it herself. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­ will you be leading the knights¡­in case that happens?¡± Riftan stared at her intently, as if trying to read the intentions behind her question. Then, he shook his head slowly. ¡°No. I¡¯m thinking of sending and handing itsmand to either Uslin or Hebaron.¡±
Note ¨C Nymeria: lol Maxi was sooo cute this chapter! Chapter 170 Chapter 170 ¡°I¡­ I see¡­¡± Max didn¡¯t realize the relief obviously disyed on her face. Riftan, gazed down at her figure and cupped her cheek with one hand. ¡°Do you hate it when I leave?¡± Max looked up at him with tense eyes. She wanted to tell him the whole truth, but she was afraid that he would be upset by her attachment, so she chose her words carefully. ¡°If Riftan¡­ stays, everyone will feel safe. The ci-citizens will also feel at ease¡­¡± ¡°¡­I suppose.¡± A sh of disappointment passed over his onyx eyes, but before Max could address it, the subtle expression disappeared behind his usual impassiveness. Riftan tossed the towel hanging around his neck into the sink and said in a slightly sulky tone. ¡°I also have no intentions of leaving Anatol empty either. I have been gone for a long time, I don¡¯t n on neglecting my duties as a Lord of thisnd again, I am going to fulfill my responsibilities.¡± ¡°Even¡­ even if King Ruben orders you to go?¡± ¡°If that man barks and scolds me, it will only be nothing but a little annoying.¡± He frowned, but soon shrugged lightly. ¡°I have lots of excuses I can make to get out of it. Unless King Ruben is a fool, he knows well of the consequences he will face shall he force me to show my loyalty more than necessary. ¡° Max felt a cold sweat break out at Riftan¡¯s disrespect for the monarch, but honestly, she was more relieved than anything. His determination to remain in Anatol was more solid than she had expected, and her shoulders visibly rxed. ¡°That¡¯s a r-relief.¡± ¡°Do you feel safe when I¡¯m by your side?¡± Max nodded slowly. Looking at her with a thoughtful gaze, Riftan leaned down and gently pressed his lips against hers and her eyelids fluttered. His soft lips lingered and swept her lips sweetly as his rough fingers gently caressed her earlobes ¡°¡­Good, you should not worry about anything. I will protect you, no matter what happens.¡± At those spoken words, Max felt her heart beating wildly against her chest. Max looked up at him, searching his eyes for confirmation. ¡°A-always?¡± ¡°Always¡±. He held her face and repeated his vow. ¡°I won¡¯t let any dangere near you.¡± She leaned into his chest and rubbed her cheek against his palm, hiding the moisture that brimmed up her eyes. As a child, she had dreamed of a knight who would one day save and protect her. However, as she grew up, she realized how useless and unattractive she was to others and didn¡¯t hope for long. Yet here she was now with Riftan, her fantasies awakening, just like how she always dreamed it would be. In her fantasies, she was a nobledy whom knights longed to protect, to the extent of sacrificing their lives as they worshipped her blindly. Max wrapped her arms around Riftan¡¯s neck as she felt a lump heating up her throat. His breathing hitched, and he suddenly grabbed her, showering her with passionate kisses. His damp tongue gently sucked on her lips and his calloused palms slowly slid down her spine, tracing it. She ran her fingers through his jet-ck hair, which was smooth and soft like the feathers of a raven, then her hands traveled down to his forearm and his slightly stubbled chin. Riftan¡¯s face visibly tensed at the contact and his dark eyes grew darker with sexual desires. ¡°I should be used to this by now¡­¡± He frowned, muttering in a muffled voice. Max lifted her eyes, confused as she tried to understand what he meant, but Riftan just sighed over her lips. ¡°Every time I touch you, my whole body feels like it¡¯s on fire. And the feeling just gets more intense every time¡­¡± With a shaky smile, Max buried her face against his neck, wiping away the remaining drops of her tears, and gently nipping his skin. Riftan stiffened and nearly crushed her as he embraced her with his rock-hard body. She felt a pleasurable tremor run through her whole body. His warmth, stark, and strength evoked a burning arousal that melted the bones within her, and she had no means of controlling her innate reaction to his touch. She wrapped her limbs around him pulling him close and allowing the heat of their bodies to join Riftan ran his fingers over the smooth skin of her thighs and calves as he walked to the bed. With Max¡¯s breasts crushed against his, he could feel her heart pounding. ¡°Sometimes I want you so much that it¡¯s excruciatingly painful.¡± He murmured in a strained voice as he gentlyid her on the bed. Max reached out and ran her fingers over his face, clouded by the shadows. Grabbing her outstretched wrist, he nted butterfly kisses along the palm of her hand. ¡°Riftan¡­¡±, she moaned and closed her eyes as she felt his hands slip into her clothes and dig into her. *** The guests were forced to leave Calypse Castle after receiving nothing but a disappointing response regarding their proposal for alliance. The knights who had to cross the rugged mountain paths and survive the forests infested with monsters appeared beyond dismayed, but Riftan didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid in their direction. He was determined to have the upper hand in the terms, shall he form an alliance with Count Robern. ording to Ruth, no one had ripped off Riftan before. He always came out with a deal that was in his favor. Max learned that despite her husband¡¯s cold and blunt demeanor, he was a brilliant negotiator. He could be a man of few words, but he was good at negotiating, and he knew how to use people to his advantage. In addition to this, Max also began to learn other fascinating aspects about her husband. First, he was an excellent architectural supervisor, which was evident in the road construction. He was aposed and impartial judge and very adept in building tools with his hands. Riftan didn¡¯t only train knights and supervise the road construction, he was also involved in the creation of new weapons with the cksmiths, and he dealt with all the issues that came up in the premise. She was amazed at how one person could oversee everything. But thanks to that, I can continue learning magic¡­ Max sighed as she looked down at the defensive magic form she drew on the ground. Her husband had hectic days from dawn untilte at night, thus she was able to focus and practice her magic lessons without worrying about being caught. Is it really okay for me to do this¡­? With another deep, wistful sigh, Ruth frowned as he examined the form she drew. ¡°You¡¯re staring at it too much, it¡¯s not like it will fix itself. Stop wasting other people¡¯s time, if you¡¯re done, let¡¯s go ahead and just try it.¡± At Ruth¡¯s incessant persistence, Max shook herself out of her thoughts. This was her first practical application of defensive magic; she couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll begin¡­¡± After checking again that she drew the form correctly, she carefully took her mana out and amplified it as she allowed the form to transform. The air around her stirred and a blue, transparent barrier formed around her. Ruth¡¯s eyes focused at her barrier with a searching gaze, then gestured for Yulysion , who was standing idly, to take a step forward. ¡°Alright, now attack the barrier.¡± The boy flinched as if he had just been hit with a whip. ¡°D-do I really have to do it?¡± ¡°Of course. How else are we going to test the shield¡¯s strength?¡± Yulysion scratched the back of his head, hesitant on participating in that training session. ¡°Can¡¯t it be someone else instead¡­?¡± ¡°We cannot ask any of the official knights to practice with us. Besides, my attacks won¡¯t be useful.¡± Ruth rolled up the sleeves of his robe to reveal his slim forearms as if to prove his point. Yulysion simply rolled his eyes at his attitude, thinking how the wizard had no masculine pride at all. Although it was true, Ruth was physically weakpared to him and he couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°Hey, stop cowering like that and attack.¡± ¡°But¡­ how can I raise my sword against thedy? Especially with my strength, equivalent to that of a knight¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not even a real sword, it¡¯s wooden. It¡¯s absolutely safe for thedy. If she was ever in a dangerous situation, this training may save her life.¡± Yulysion couldn¡¯t argue with Ruth¡¯s firm point, so he gulped and stood in front of Max. ¡°Alright. Then, mdy¡­ please forgive me for this.¡± Max nodded nervously, amplifying her mana to fortify the shield. The young apprentice raised his wooden sword above his head and swung it down slightly. Max¡¯s eyes widened as she heard a whistling sound from the barrier followed by a loud ttering noise. Her shield shattered in vain like thin ice. Yulysion didn¡¯t have the time to pull the sword back and the wooden sword relentlesslynded on Max¡¯s forehead. Her eyes shed white with pain, she grabbed her head and fell backwards, crumpling on the ground. ¡°M-mdy¡­!!!¡± Yulysion screamed shrilly. The pain was splitting. Max groaned with excruciating pain and kicked her legs as tears streamed down her face in an instant. ¡°Nghhh¡­!¡± ¡°W-wizard! Please do something! Quickly! The Lady¡­! The Lady is hurt!¡± Yulysion, who was in shock from hitting the Lord¡¯s wife, held Ruth¡¯s shoulders and shook him from side to side violently.The wizard only looked nkly at the absurdity and sighed, squatting next to Max¡¯s huddled body. ¡°Just a second, move your hands so I can heal you. I will cast recovery magic.¡± Max exerted great effort to barely manage prying her hands away, revealing her tear-stained face. Ruth cast her a pathetic look, not bothering to hide his feelings and clicked his tongue before casting the healing magic on her head. Max felt her face redden with embarrassment as she got up from the ground. She wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. ¡°Are you a-alright? Does it still hurt¡­?¡± Yulysion wandered around her uneasily, examining her. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± Max replied, pretending it was no big deal and brushed the dirt off her skirt. ¡°I am so, very, sincerely, truly, sorry for hurting you, mdy¡­¡± ¡°N-no, it¡¯s because my magic¡­ was very weak¡­¡± Ruth muttered something under his breath and shook his head disapprovingly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I had never seen such a weak shield in my entire life. I¡¯d rather make a barrier out of parchment than your shield.¡± ¡°It-It¡¯s because this is my first time! Next¡­ next time it will be better.¡± She defended herself, but Yulysion simply turned blue at her statement. ¡°Is¡­ the Lady thinking of trying again?¡± ¡°Y-Yes. I¡¯ll practice¡­ until I can do it properly.¡± Max answered firmly, nodding determinedly and examined again the form she drew. She racked her brain trying to figure out where she went wrong. She was able to apply it very well, but why did it break so pathetically? ¡°The Lady¡¯s shield is ridiculously weak because the mana flow is too slow. She needs to increase the flow three times her current speed to achieve the strength of an average shield.¡± ¡°T-three times ?!¡± ¡°Either that or double the mana you¡¯re using.¡± Max felt like crying. ¡°Both¡­ Both suggestions are difficult¡­¡± ¡°Give it a try. The shield should, at the very least, be as durable as a ss window to even be called a shield. Yours couldn¡¯t even block a Dragonfly¡¯s wings.¡± Ruth criticized her harshly and waved a hand at Yulysion, who was still blue. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need Mr. Lovar¡¯s help anymore. You can go now. This should be more than enough.¡± Ruth bent down, picked up a thin branch from the ground, and swung it in the air like he was swatting a fly. ¡°We can consider today¡¯s training a sess if you can block this.¡± Max nodded, feeling disheartened as she stared at the small branch of the width of a pinkie finger. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 It took Max five attempts to finally be able to repel the thin wooden branch. However, it was still not up to the mark for actual use, so after a long and bitter practice, they decided to explore another method of defensive magic. Max, who had been struggling for days memorizing forms and theories, had her shoulders sag in disappointment, but Ruth was adamant. He did not want to cling to an ipatible method. He didn¡¯t bother for a break and immediately jumped to another lecture, drawing a new magic form on the ground. ¡°There are two types of defensive spells when ites to the universe of magic. The first one is an abstract shield and the other one is a physical barrier. Since your shield is practically useless, we have no choice but to learn the other type.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Do I need to learn a new form? It¡­ took me a whole week just to memorize thest one¡­¡± ¡°The basic form is almost identical, so it shouldn¡¯t take you long to learn it. Also, this barrier type requires only a quarter of manapared to thest one.¡± Max narrowed her eyes and red at him. ¡°T-then why¡­ didn¡¯t you teach me this type of shield in the first ce?¡± ¡°The magic form used for abstract shields is lessplicated. Unlike a shield that it¡¯s formed with the use of pure mana, a physical barrier transforms tangible elements around you to create a shield. Since it involves the maniption of matter, it involvesplex calctions and formtions more difficult than abstract shields.¡± Ruth exined as he continued to write down forms on the ground using a wooden stick. Max looked at the overlyplicated drawings and her face began to contort in horror. ¡°What¡­ What if I practice building the abstract shield more? I¡­ I can get better with time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible, if thedy will be able to build up her mana pool. But that will take at least a year to happen. Thedy needs to learn magic that you can use anytime now. It would be better for you to learn as much magic as possible before I go.¡± Max looked at Ruth, pulling her eyes away from theplex shapes that made her dizzy when she stared at them. ¡°Did you¡­ perhaps¡­ receive a royal order to l-leave for the e-expedition?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be long now. I received a message from Livadon yesterday, saying that the situation is getting more serious. The high priests of Osyria are already discussing countermeasures.¡± If Osyria was involved, then the obvious conclusion would be to gather reinforcements from each of the seven countries. Max looked anxiously at Ruth. ¡°How¡­ how long does it take¡­ to get to Livadon?¡± ¡°About a month. It would take two weeks on horseback, with no breaks, to reach the border northwest of here. From there, you would have to travel for another ten days by boat. If there are monsters encountered on the way, it will take longer.¡± Max¡¯s mood clouded and she sighed just imagining the terrible journey. ¡°It¡­ it must be a tough journey¡­¡± ¡°It really is. Traversing the Lexos Mountains was more than enough for a lifetime of suffering, but now another damn expedition had to happen! To be honest, I want to be stuck in Anatol for at least ten years.¡± Ruth¡¯s shoulder slumped as hemented. Max was a little worried about the man who couldn¡¯t even be bothered to travel to his room to sleep, and yet would be forced to go on such a long journey. Every corner of the world had monsters lurking and the journey to Livadon would certainly not go smoothly. ¡°Will it r-really¡­be alright to take just a few knights¡­for the expedition¡­?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t take all the knights and leave Anatol unprotected to save Livadon, can we?¡± Ruth responded sarcastically and quickly finished the form. ¡°Besides, we are not the only ones responding to Livadon¡¯s call. As we move northwest, knights sent by other countries will join us.¡± ¡°Knights¡­ from other countries¡­?¡± ¡°Lord Calypse isn¡¯t the King¡¯s only vassal. On behalf of the King¡¯smand, each Lord shall send his own knights and arge-scale army will be formed. This is themon procedure when reinforcements are sent to allied countries.¡± ¡°I¡­ I see¡­¡± ¡°Troops will be dispatched from Whedon, Balto, and Osyria, so no matter how many monsters unite, we can settle the matters byte fall this year.¡± Seeing his confidence, Max was able to rx a bit. ¡°When this is all over¡­ I will be able to return to Anatol notter than the start of winter.¡± ¡°I sincerely hope that will be the case.¡± Finally finishing the magic form, Ruth dusted his palms and straightened his back. ¡°In the meantime, thedy will have to take over my role somehow.¡± ¡°O-of course¡­ I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Her shoulders hunched with the burden Ruth had ced on her. ¡°But¡­ there may be situations when it will be difficult for me to handle on my own¡­ before Ruth leaves, shouldn¡¯t we get at least¡­ another healer?¡± ¡°If I could, I would have already.¡± Ruth sighed and crossed his arms on his chest. ¡°All the magicians are gathering in Livadon because of the chaos the monsters are inflicting. Therefore, the pay for wizards almost doubled, so every wizard is determined to go there. Moreover, the demand for wizards is steep, so no one will be willing to settle in Anatol unless thepensation is beyond generous.¡± Max¡¯s face reflected pure anxiety, the world was more chaotic than she thought. Ruth gave her a serious look. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to work on improving your magic skills as much as possible before I leave. That way, I can have a little peace of mind when I depart.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll try.¡± Max replied helplessly as she gazed at theplicated magic form that spanned out like a spider¡¯s web. Patting her shoulders to cheer her up, Ruth began to exin step by step the principles behind the magic. *** Just as Ruth predicted, the royal family¡¯s order for reinforcements arrived ten dayster. Riftan was the one who received the imperial decree from the royal messenger. He quickly flipped through the contents and immediately summoned the knights to discuss it. Max nervously paced in the room, anxiously awaiting Riftan¡¯s return: she needed to know what was the final decision in their response to the order. He made it clear that he had no intention of leaving Anatol unattended and would order another knight in his ce, but depending on what was written in the royal order there was a possibility for him to change his mind. King Ruben could have made it impossible for him to refuse the order. She sped her hands, praying. The thought of him leaving her for so long gnawed at her and seemed to burn her nerves. It felt like an eternity before the bedroom door finally opened. Max turned her head to the sound of the door and Riftan entered, looking exhausted. She immediately went to him like a blow of wind. ¡°What-what¡­ was the decision? What was written in the decree? You-you don¡¯t n to leave Anatol, do you?¡± ¡°Hey, take it easy.¡± He grabbed her by the houlders, surprise evident on his face at her sudden outburst, but she grabbed his forearms and advanced nervously. ¡°Are you leaving for Livadon?¡± ¡°I told you I don¡¯t n on doing that.¡± A faint smile danced on his lips. Riftan gently removed Max¡¯s grip, released the sword tied to his waist and ced it against the bedside. She ran after him and continued hurling questions in his direction. ¡°Then¡­what was decided on w-who will go in your ce?¡± ¡°Uslin Rikaido will lead the expedition.¡± Riftan copsed into a chair and massaged his stiff neck. ¡°Nirta and Rikaido were barking at each other for the opportunity so much that the knights grew tired. I had to listen to them scream for three hours. My ears are paralyzed from their noise.¡± Max gave him a sympathetic look as she remembered how those two knights acted like each other¡¯s mortal enemies. If they had been fighting, then their screams would have been thunderous. ¡°It looks like¡­Sir R-Rikaido won this time¡­¡± ¡°Nirta was at a disadvantage from the beginning. Allied knights from around the world are merging. Amander with a mercenary background will invite nothing but bacsh. Rikaido on the other hand is from a prominent family, it would be most favorable for him to stand as the representative.¡± There was a hint of mockery in Riftan¡¯s tone at the words ¡®prominent family¡¯, but he just clicked his tongue lightly and continued. ¡°Nirta¡¯s arguments were strong, but I finally managed to convince him that nothing goodes from internal conflicts. In the end he¡¯s a rational person, it doesn¡¯t fit his bear-like physique.¡± Max nodded as he remembered how meek Hebaron always seemed. ¡°Who else is l-leaving?¡± ¡°Elliot Caron and Lombardo will be assisting Rikaido. There will be ten other knights, twenty apprentice knights, thirty more men on horseback, and a wizard¡­ It has been decided that a total of sixty-four men will depart for Livadon.¡± ¡°I¡­ is there anything I can do to help for the p-preparations?¡± Riftan frowned slightly at her suggestion. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. They are going to pack their own luggage and they are all used to these kinds of tasks.¡± ¡°Still¡­ if there is anything they n-need, I¡¯ll have it prepared. They are going on a long journey¡­ There must be s-something I can do to help. ¡° ¡°Then, tell the servants to prepare an extravagant dinner.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°The preparations for the expedition will be finished by tomorrow. They are going to leave at dawn the next day, so tomorrow night is the only time for a send-off dinner.¡± Max evaluated his expression carefully and acknowledged that he was reluctant to part with his men. She understood him. The bond between them was forged through blood and fire, no one could happily send his knights, who have followed him loyally through life and death, to war. She nodded vigorously, determined to inform the chef to use the best ingredients, expensive spices and the highest quality aged wine for dinner tomorrow. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them¡­ to prepare only the best and most delicious dishes¡­¡± ¡°Please do.¡± With a slight smile, he removed his thick leather boots and untied his tunic-tight waistband. Max took his boots and carefully ced them against the wall and ordered Rudis to prepare a bath. Meanwhile, Riftan stood in front of the open window and allowed the refreshing night breeze to cool his body. He gazed at hisnd, covered in the night¡¯s darkness. Max opened the trunk and pulled out a new set of nightwear and paused to look at Riftan¡¯s figure. His wide back seemed stiffer than usual, and there was a darkness to his sharp features. Her heart sank painfully knowing he was tired and annoyed by all the burdens piling up on his shoulders. Duty to the king, duty as lord, duty asmander of the knights¡­ so many responsibilities. Even a man made of steel would be beaten at that point. Max hesitated, but then slowly approached him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Riftan turned slightly and looked at her with a soft smile. ¡°What is this? Are you trying to seduce me again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s j-just¡­ you look sad and tired¡­¡± Her face turned red as she pretended to brush dust off his tunic. A lightugh escaped Riftan¡¯s lips. He wrapped her tightly around his strong arms and nted a kiss on her head. ¡°You¡¯re growing more appealing with each passing day. It turns me on.¡± Max buried her head against his broad chest, feeling relieved that the somber atmosphere clouding him had disappeared. She felt sorry for the knights but was overwhelmed by the joy of knowing that Riftan would not be leaving for such a dangerous ce.
Note ¨C Nymeria: HOW CUTEEEE omg such a nice couple they¡¯ve be! My heart is satisfied <3 Chapter 172 Chapter 172 ¡°Your hair smells good.¡± He let out a satisfied moan and buried his face against her shoulder. A red tint spread across Max¡¯s cheeks, d she applied a few drops of rose-scented oil on it earlier. Savoring the scent, Riftan rubbed the bridge of his nose against her voluminous hair, then slipped an arm under her hips and lifted her so he could embrace her better. Max closed the shutters and leaned closer to his arms as she felt his rough palms caress her nape. She was floating inplete ecstasy from being so intimately embraced by hisrge stature. His smooth hair gently tickled her forehead and nose, and his sturdy steel-like arms tightly captured her with a force that didn¡¯t inflict her any unease. He brushed his slender fingers against the back of her ear, tucking a stray lock of hair. Max reciprocated, caressing his head, a slender moan escaped from Riftan¡¯s lips and their bodies felt like melting at the burning sensual contact. Max was deeply intoxicated with the scorching heat when they heard a careful, gentle knock on the door, pulling them out of the moment. ¡°My Lord, the water for the bath is ready.¡± Riftan let out a long sigh, caressing her breasts with one hand, then nted a kiss on her exposed pale shoulder. ¡°¡­ I knew this would happen. Our servants seem to always have great timing.¡± He grumbled and carefully ced her back on the floor. ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened at hismand, and the servants went inside carrying a bathtub. Riftan approached the bath and pulled his tunic over his head, looking at Max and smiling seductively. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we bathed together. Shall we?¡± ¡°I¡­ I already washed up¡­¡± Max murmured in a whisper as she nced at the servants pouring cold water into the tub to adjust the water¡¯s temperature. ¡°You can wash again,e here.¡± He dipped his fingers into the bathtub to check the temperature himself then roughly beckoned the servants to leave. Max approached reluctantly, pretending to be hesitant as the servants rushed out of the room. Riftan gave her a satisfiedugh as Max began to loosen the ties on her dress. *** The preparations for the expedition began early at dawn. Max woke up to themotion outside and leaned out the bedroom window. Servants and knights moved busily to and from the spacious manor soaked in the bluish light of dawn. In the distance, the sound of horseshoes pounding against the stables and horses neighing could be heard. Max rubbed her dazed eyes at the scene, then turned to find the side of Riftan¡¯s bed empty. Needless to say, his armor was also gone. She sighed and called Rudis to help her get ready for the day. Riftan said she didn¡¯t need to worry about the preparations, but Max¡¯s conscience could not allow her to send men into battle without doing something for them. She wore a blue blouse, braided her hair on the sides and twisted it up. As soon as she was done, she headed straight out of the great hall, going towards the sables where she saw dozens of horses lined up, and knights examining the horses¡¯ physiques and horseshoes one by one. Max found a familiar face amongst them and immediately approached the said knight. Sir Caron, who was in the middle of a conversation with Rodrigo, turned and smiled courteously. ¡°Good morning, Lady Calypse.¡± ¡°Good¡­ morning. A-are you p-preparing to leave for the expedition?¡± ¡°Yes, I was gathering supplies necessary for the trip.¡± He exined and pointed to the leather bags full of supplies and food stacked against the castle wall. She narrowed her eyes and tried to count how much there was, but either way, she estimated that it wouldn¡¯t be enough food tost sixty-four men to Livadon. Seeing her puzzled expression, Sir Karon kindly added an exnation. ¡°We cannot bring too much food with us as it will only slow us down. We need to make room for other necessities like weapons, sleeping bags, and pots to cook. We will be able to pass through the viges on the way and buy what we need so we can conserve as much load as possible.¡± ¡°I¡­I see.¡± Princess Agnes said the same exact thing said before leaving for a journey. Max looked around at the bustling atmosphere and looked at Sir Karon sheepishly. ¡°I-Is there anything¡­ I can do to help?¡± ¡°The Lady?¡± He asked, surprised as a troubled smiled spread across his lips. ¡°It¡¯s fine, we can handle this ourselves. This is our duty. But thank you, for your sincere intentions to help. ¡° Max was not disappointed; she was half expecting for him to decline her offer anyway. Sheposed her expressions and asked another question. ¡°Riftan¡­ The lord¡­ w-where is he?¡± ¡°He is currently giving instructions to the knights with Sir Rikaido in the training grounds. Is there anything you need from him?¡± She hurriedly waved her hands to signal no. ¡°N-no. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t see him around yet¡­¡± ¡°Sir Caron! Should we now take the horses to the training grounds?¡± Sir Caron looked over his shoulder to look at the knight who called him. Max, realizing that she was getting in his way, shyly backed away. ¡°F-for stealing your precious time¡­ I¡¯m sorry. D-don¡¯t mind me¡­ please continue with your work¡­¡± ¡°My apologies mdy. Then, please excuse me¡± He bowed apologetically and went to the where the knights had gathered. Max turned around and headed back to the gall. Although it was not necessary, the least she could do was prepare clothes and food for the knights. She went straight to the kitchen and handed the keys to the spice cab to the chef and instructed him to be generous on the ingredients and prepare a ton of luxurious meals. Afterward, she ordered the maids to provide the knights with clothes and sleeping bags. She made sure to have them checked carefully and repair the damaged ones. She also asked them to pack the newly purchased pots and bowls for use on the trip. As she busily ran through the castle, a familiar voice called out to her. Max turned to see Ruth running down the hall toward her with his long, slender legs. ¡°There you are. I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you.¡± ¡°W-what¡¯s¡­the matter? I thought you w-were busy preparing for the expedition¡­¡± ¡°I havepleted all the necessary preparations. Rather, there¡¯s something I need to show thedy before I leave. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You will know if you follow me.¡± He gestured for her to follow and turned to walk away without further exnation. Max followed him at a whim, no knowing what was going on. Ruth strode down the stairs and went out of the castle at once. ¡°Just w-where are we going?¡± ¡°To my tower¡±. Max looked at him with surprise and quickly looked around. Max remembered that Riftan warned her not to dare approach that ce. ording to him, Ruth had created all sorts of strange magic spells around the tower. She stood as close to Ruth as possible, wary of any mana disruptions from the surroundings. ¡°What¡¯s in the t-tower¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost there, please wait a bit longer.¡± He answered halfheartedly, as he was too tired to exin things one by one, and quickly walked along the winding path. After a while, they reached the entrance to the tower, hidden behind giant green elm trees. Max looked around curiously at the gray tower embraced by vines of red ivy. Perhaps due to theck of human interference, the walls were covered in weeds and moss. Ruth roughly scraped the moss off then took keys from his pocket and unlocked the tower doors. ¡°Come on in.¡± She stood by the doorway, poking her head to see what was inside: it was a fortress shrouded in darkness. Water dripped from a hole in the ceiling, dampening the floor below. There was a stone staircase that spiraled up like a conch shell. Ruth entered without hesitation. ¡°What are you doing, aren¡¯t youing?¡± She gave up waiting for a proper exnation from him and followed him in resignation. They climbed almost three-quarters of the tower before Ruth finally spoke again. ¡°Here we are.¡± He said, pulling the old doorknob against the wall. Max looked warily inside and frowned. A strong burnt smell, the smell of bitter medicines, and musty old parchments pricked her nose. ¡°I-it smells bad in there.¡± ¡°What do you have against someone else¡¯s sanctuary, are you disrespecting it? I just wasn¡¯t able to air it out in a while so it¡¯s a bit dusty.¡± Ruth grumbled and walked over to open a window to let the sunlight pour into the dim interior. Max blinked at the sudden change of lighting. It was just how she imagined what a wizard¡¯sb would look like. Strange tools and models cluttered the floor, and old books were tucked into the book shelves against the wall. Cabs were stacked with jars and jars of medicine. Ruth beckoned to her and pushed the mess on the floor aside. ¡°I havepiled some magic forms for thedy to study while I¡¯m away. I tried to organize them in a way that is easy to understand¡­ but I¡¯m not sure if you will be fine with it¡­¡± Max walked carefully towards him, doing her best to avoid stepping on anything. Ruth took a pile of parchment and handed them over. ¡°Take a look at it and tell me right away if there is something you don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Did you drag me all the way here¡­ to give me t-these?¡± Ruth nodded. ¡°You are also free to read all the books in this room while I am away. But as much as possible, please don¡¯t bring them out of the tower. All these books are too valuablepared to those in the library, you¡¯ll be in trouble if any of them gets lost.¡± Max squinted at the white dust gathering on the sprawling pile of books. For something so valuable, it sure was treated like garbage. ¡°If those books are so precious¡­ you should treat them with m-more care.¡± ¡°They are good as long as they¡¯re readable.¡± He answered sarcastically and picked up a few books, cing them on his desk. ¡°This one will help thedy with learning magic. Read it when you have time. This one is about herbal medicines. There are also anatomy books from the south. It is not tranted, but if you study the illustrations and be familiar with the structure of the human body, it will help you cast your healing magic better. Medicine in the south is much more advanced than here, so these would be very helpful. Once he was done frantically arranging the books, he went on to exin each and every bottle lined up in the cabs. ¡°This red jar contains wound ointment. If you apply it after thoroughly cleaning the wound, it will heal much faster. The syrup in this bottle helps relieve swelling, and the leaves in the bag over there are for bringing down fever and detoxifies poison and venom. These dried roots help replenish mana. Oh, and it also helps restore energy. Now this¡­¡± ¡°W-wait a minute! Please exin it slowly¡­¡± Max quickly interrupted and searched for a feather pen and parchment from Ruth¡¯s desk to jot down his exnations.
Note ¨C Nymeria: Don¡¯t lose the books, they¡¯re so precious! What, I¡¯m treating them like crap? Well, as long as they¡¯re readable¡­ lmaoooo Ruth I¡¯ll miss you so muchhe back soon! Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Trantor -LF ¡°Thedy is familiar with this powder. This powder that can stop bleeding is made from grinding the leaves and roots of dried cucumber, mixed with a little flour and a variety of herbs. I made more than enough, but if it runs out, you may craft it using this recipe. You must be urate with mixing them so use a scale. Also, I have written other recipes for simple medicines, please read them from time to time.¡± Ruth ced a dense parchment, small scale, and a small mortar and pestle used for grinding herbs on the desk. Max, who was scrambling to jot down his instructions with an inked quill, nced at him with an anxious face. ¡°S-so¡­we need that m-much medicine?¡± ¡°We never know. As you may have already experienced, healing magic can only be used up to a limit. It¡¯s wise to prepare for anything ahead of time.¡± Ruth shrugged lightly and began to teach her how to use the scale. Max tried to write down his exnation on the parchment in as much detail as she could. She knew that Ruth¡¯s responsibilities were vast, but this was beyond her expectations. The pressure to fill his vacancy weighed heavily on her shoulders. ¡°I think I¡¯ve exined everything. Now, I¡¯ll leave the keys to the tower with you.¡± Ruth, whose arms were crossed across his chest, looked up at the ceiling and took the key out of his pocket. ¡°There is nothing particrly dangerous here, but if possible, avoid touching anything other than the herbs and books.¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯ll be careful¡­¡± Max took the key carefully from him, then there was a strange silence for a moment. Ruth scratched the back of his bushy head and made an awkward expression. ¡°Please take good care of Sir Riftan and the other knights. They all think that they¡¯re immortal, so they don¡¯t hesitate in doing anything reckless. I¡¯m anxious about leaving them behind, but I won¡¯t be worrying too much since you¡¯re here.¡± Max smiled gently. She was well aware of how much Ruth did for Riftan and the knights. He took precious time to teach her various magic spells because of his dedication to Anatol and its people. She responded in the brightest voice she had, to try easing his concerns. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us¡­ take care of yourself ande back safely. I¡¯ll work hard and do my best¡­ because we¡¯re all rooting for you, R-ruth.¡± ¡°You should.¡± Only then Ruth¡¯s shoulders sank, like he suddenly remembered his situation. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to sleep in a bed for a while starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°You never sleep in a b-bed to begin with.¡± Max shook her head in a curious manner. ¡°At least¡­ s-sleep in a warm bed today. Also, for dinner¡­ I told the chef to prepare a special and grand feast so don¡¯t skip it¡­ make sure you¡¯lle down to eat in the dining hall.¡± ¡°I was thinking of doing that anyway. I won¡¯t be able to have a proper meal for a while, so I need to eat when I can and grease my stomach. Now, let¡¯s go, we shall head back.¡± Ruth responded giddily and turned towards the door. Max collected her parchment and gazed pitifully at his back as he left the room. She felt sorry for Ruth who was embarking on a rough journey. Moreover, it was going to be difficult to get through various mishaps on her own in the future. Only then did she realize how much she depended on the nosy wizard. Max spoke in the softest tone possible. ¡°I sincerely really thank you¡­for e-everything. Because of Ruth¡¯s help¡­ several crises¡­¡± ¡°W-Wait, Hold on! Stop saying such ominous words.¡± Ruth red at her and jumped up and down like he just heard Max utter a bad omen. ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re sending me off for forever.¡± ¡°W-w¡­what I¡¯m just trying to say¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, it feels so awkward, so stop it. Saying a simple farewell will be enough.¡± She bit her lips. She was just trying to express her genuine gratitude, but Ruth¡¯s attitude was not having it. ¡°F-fine. Then¡­ farewell ande back soon. Is that good enough?¡± ¡°Yes, that will do. I hope thedy will stay healthy and well.¡± Ruth muttered some stuff while going down the stairs and sighed in a muffled manner, when he suddenly sent a mischievous nce to Max over his shoulder. ¡°Also, when I return, I¡¯m looking forward to hearing the good news.¡± ¡°N..news? ¡°I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s not long until we hear news of the birth of Calypse II.¡± Max¡¯s face turned beet red. Seeing her reddened face, Ruth giggled and eventually burst intoughter. Max red at him with an indignant look and stomped down the stairs. Really, it¡¯s impossibly hard to even bid a sincere farewell! *** That evening, the dinner served was the most grandiose they ever had. Roasted swans and whole piglets gracefully lined up the center of the tables, dozens of dishes seasonedvishly with cloves, nutmeg, cumin, and pepper were served at a plenty. The knights exchanged farewells while they enjoyed sumptuous food and quality wine prepared carefully by the servants. None of them reflected any grimness or anxiousness in their faces. As Max watched the knights exchange mischievous jokes and nder like they were going to see each other again the following day, she wondered if one day she would also need to send Riftan off for a long journey with a smile. Right now, it seemed unimaginable to her. Just the thought of exchanging farewells with him made her feel like her body would split in half. She looked up at his face wrapped in the soft candlelight glow and thought about how important of a figure Riftan had be in her existence. She wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it, shall he be away from her for half a year. Things would have panned out great if Riftan was an ordinary lord of and in the countryside rather than a knight, but if the circumstances were as such, she wouldn¡¯t have been married to him in the first ce. She sipped wine and secretly soothed her troubled heart. She wanted to utter usible words of encouragement to the knights who were leaving, but failed to say a word, like she was a mute. The next day, the knights set out for the expedition before dawn. Dozens of giant warhorses with loaded supplies strapped to their hips and armed knights on saddles, crossed the gates in an organized row. Max climbed the wall and watched as the knights crossed the moat. Sir Rikaido led the way, driving his horse down the road that glimmered dark blue against the early dawn¡¯s light, following him closely there were Ruth and Sir Caron. The rhythmic pounding of horseshoes against the earth continued for a long time. She waved her handkerchief in the damp, cool morning breeze until they were out of sight. Riftan who was standing in front as he sent the knights off with a hardened expression, turned his head toward her. ¡°You may go back in now. The wind is blowing strangely, rain might pour in a while.¡± Max anxiously trailed the knights with her eyes as she watched their leaving figures that were now the size of ants. ¡°W¡­Will they be fine?¡± ¡°They will be fine. When it rains, the chances of encountering monsters decrease so it would favor them better. But¡­ I hope it stops before eveninges¡­¡± Riftan frowned and looked up into the dark skies. An annoyed sigh escaped his lips. ¡°There is an expedition as it is, but I¡¯m more worried about the road construction. I have to leave the castle before it rains.¡± He gently pulled her face closer to his and nted a kiss on her cold forehead with a soft smile. Recently, she could see Riftan oftenly shing smiles like that. When he disyed that boyish smile, the crease from his face smoothed out and he appeared ten times more attractive and handsome. ¡°Your face is cold. Don¡¯t wander around and go back to our room to rest.¡± He rubbed her earlobes and whispered in a tone someone would use to a young child. Max blushed and grumbled with a dissatisfied expression. ¡°I¡­ I am not a little child¡­¡± ¡°Be good and listen to me.¡± Riftan kissed her eyelids once and yfully pinched her cheeks with his fingers. The roughness of his fingers and the soft warmth of his lips felt pleasant. She looked up at him eagerly. She wished that he would give her more of his soft caress and kisses, but he appeared content with just that light kiss and gently led her back into the castle, telling her to hurry. Max could do nothing but swallow her disappointment and trudged back to the room. *** Just as Riftan had predicted, it started raining steadily around noon. Max gloomily watched the shimmering raindrops pour like mist over the lush garden. The colorful flowers seemed to have lost their vibrance as they drooped and even the deep blue leaves seemed to be dyed with ck as it dulled and soaked with water from the rain. The strong, chilly wind rattled and shook the windows, deepening her worries for the knights. She felt sorry as it was only their first day of expedition, yet they already had to travel the rugged mountain path in this weather. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to stop anytime soon.¡± Even Rudis, who was sitting by the windows while sewing quietly, sighed. ¡°I-it seems that way¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it rained just when the knights left for the expedition¡­.¡± Rudis rubbed her cheek lethargically and put down what she was sewing to get up from her seat and light the firece. Max looked out the wide window, listening to the raindrops pat against the windows. Will the road construction be fine? When it rained, there was a decreased urrence of monsters appearing, so there was a low chance of idents happening. For a moment, her head jumped from one worry to another. Max shook her head. This isn¡¯t the time to waste on helpless worries. Instead, I should improve my skills enough to fill Ruth¡¯s ce as soon as possible. Max started by taking out the pile of parchment Ruth had handed her and sorted them. There was no order, it was aplete mess, like it was arranged by a hopeless person with no talent for organizing. Information about herbs, magic, healing, and medicine recipes were all mixed together. It was also noticeablycking as there were iplete sentences, like some information was missing. She suspected a few parchments were left back in the tower. I have no idea if this is being meticulous¡­ or being chaotic. She decided to visit the towerter, first to study what she understood and then to find the missing information. Max took out new pieces of clean parchment and simplified her magic forms. There were two kinds of magic that Ruth had arranged for her. One was to elerate the speed of her mana flow to increase her magic power and the other was to double the amount of mana she exerted. Max secretly expected that there was a powerful magic spell written on the parchments, like the me magic of the royal princess, but her shoulders only sunk in disappointment. Even if she learnt such powerful kind of magic, she would only be able to barely make a me the size of what¡¯s on a candle with her current mana pool. All she knew how to do was to cast healing, detox, and recovery magic. Other than that, her magic was limited and stagnant. If she attempted to learn a new kind of magic, it was obviously not going to go the way she wanted it to. It would be better to focus on working and strengthening the magic that she could cast. Max began to study the structure of the magic forms as she convinced herself of the judgement she hade up with. With her thoughts set, she began memorizing magic forms. Fortunately, Ruth left her with detailed exnations so she could easily understand how it worked. The problem is practice¡­ She was worried about how she could learn to apply a new magic form by herself without Ruth¡¯s help, but she had no choice but to try. She concentrated eagerly and memorized theplex structures of the magic form. For a long time, she was immersed with her studies, when she suddenly felt a heavy pain in her lower abdomen. Max, who was dipping her quilt in the ink, felt something dripping between her legs, and her face stiffened. Chapter 174 Chapter 174 The unpleasant visit that had repeated since she turned 17 hade again. Max scrambled out of her chair in her attempt to save her beautiful satin dress which the seamstress had intricately sewn for two full weeks. As soon as Max asked Rudis for help, the servant immediately brought her hot water, a clean linen cloth, and a new dress. Max frowned in disgust, wiping clean the blood between her legs with a hot wet towel, then wore a thick linen-lined cotton underwear, turning to look in front of the mirror several times to see if there were any stains on her hips that she had missed. She didn¡¯t particrly like wearing the underwear as it made her hips look big like a duck¡¯s. The ufortable feeling of her sore lower abdomen felt like there were cold pebbles housed in it and it annoyed her. The thought of having to endure this for a minimum of five days made her sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed, mdy.¡± Max turned at Rudis with a puzzled expression at the sudden words offort. The maid then continued to speak in a cautious manner. ¡°Some couples take more than three years to bear their first child. If you wait with an eased heart, God will grant you the most beautiful child when the right timees.¡± Max blinked nkly. Only then it urred to her that the inconvenient phenomenon she was experiencing meant that she was not pregnant with a child. Max spoke slowly as anxiety took over her. ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange¡­ t-that it came¡­ s-sote?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that the timing isn¡¯t right.¡± Rudis reassured her with a tender smile. ¡°Mdy¡¯s expectations must have been set high, since it came at the end of the month. It¡¯s normal for it toete at times¡­ do not worry so much Madam.¡± Ironically, Rudis seemed more disappointed than her when the words flowed out of her mouth. Max didn¡¯t even realize that she waste. In fact, her cycle had been more regr after staying in Anatol. Before, she had her period once every two or three months, and there were times when it wouldn¡¯te for even five months. She bit her lip, confused. Did other women bleed more often than her? What about Rosetta? She squinted her eyes and groped her hands trying to focus and search in her memories, but nothing came to mind. The two sisters weren¡¯t close enough in the first ce to exchange such private matters. Thinking of the possibility of not being able to conceive a child because she happened to have a big w, a cold sweat ran down her spine. Her mother¡¯s haggard, lifeless face shed on her head. Max turned around, trying to hide her agitation and nonchntly ordered. ¡°I want to drink a w-warm tea. A herbal tea¡­can you brew some for me?¡± ¡°Of course, madam. I¡¯ll prepare it right away.¡± As Rudis went out of the room, Max copsed helplessly in front of the desk and sped her face. She wanted to tell Rudis the truth and ask for advice, but she feared that she would tell Riftan about it. How would he react if he finds out that there might be something wrong with his wife? She was well aware of how important it was for men to have an heir, it was no question that Riftan would desire a son to pass on the castle and the territory. Her throat felt like there was a thorn stuck inside it. Will he still cherish and care for her even if she happens to have the same fate as her mother? Max flipped through the parchment nervously. However, as the pain in her stomach grew worse every second, even if she was able to gather her thoughts momentarily, it was immediately shattered. She stared aimlessly at the swimming letters on the parchment before throwing her quill in frustration. That made the ink sttered, creating a messy stain on the desk. Max stared at the mess silently, then lowered her head against the desk as she listened to the raindrops hitting the windowpane. Just why do worries chase my life? Her eyes darkened at the thought that a fatal one could add to the list of her dozens of ws. Stop overthinking. Rudis is right, it¡¯s just not the right time, she thought to herself desperately. That wasn an old habit of her, torturing herself with the worst and most grim future she could possibly have. She had the perfect husband who was beyond what she thought she deserved; there were more people whom she could talk to; she had a safe andfortable ce she could call home; she was beginning to ovee her stutter bit by bit; she was even learning magic! Max desperately drove herself away from the worries trying to eat her mind. If God was indeed merciful, she believed that surely one day he would grant her the blessing of having a healthy heir. Riftan returned to their room drenched and soaking from the rain. His robe was heavy with water and drooped like seaweed, revealing the shape of the armor he wore underneath and his shoes were covered with mud. Max got out of bed and ced a towel over his head. His cheeks were wet from the rain and cold as ice. ¡°All this time¡­ have you been under the rain?¡± ¡°We had to stop the soil and mud from flowing down the road. I can¡¯t let the hard work we did for thest two months go to waste.¡± He pushed the door close with his back and took off his muddy shoes and soaking robe on the spot, avoiding soiling the expensive carpet on the floor and threw them into a basket. ¡°Is it raining¡­t-that much?¡± Max asked, a little surprised by all the considerations he needed to take into ount. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will pour much heavier. The problem is that the ground has been weakened by monsters. Also, the summer monsoon will begin in a couple of months, so it is better to be prepared ahead for it.¡± He took off all his armor and wet clothing. Max led Riftan in front of the firece and handed him a towelrge enough to wrap around his body. While he briefly warmed his body in front of the fire, the diligent servants brought a bathtub filled with hot water into the room. As always, Riftan asked for the two of them to take a bath together, but Max only stood stiffly with an awkward expression stered on her face and announced to him that she was ¡®unclean.¡¯ He looked at her with a puzzled face. ¡°If your body isn¡¯t clean then you cane and wash with me.¡± Max was a little startled that a man who was capable of doing anything would say something so unthoughtful. Since she came to Anatol, she had only had menstruations four times: once when he was away, and the other three when he was rather busy, therefore there hadn¡¯t been any need to exin such an embarrassing situation. Max stuttered, abashed. ¡°It¡¯s t-that day¡­¡± ¡°That day?¡± Max looked at him with tears in her eyes. Her husband, who she thought was the most perfect man in the world, wore a stupidly clueless face. Her eyes darted from side to side, thinking of how he could be so clueless. How on earth was she going to exin her circumstance without losing her dignity? ¡°What I mean is¡­from today until the end of t-the week¡­ we can¡¯t¡­ do m-marital duties¡­ because of my c-condition.¡± ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± Riftan¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Don¡¯t talk in riddles and exin it clearly. Are you rejecting me right now?¡± Max¡¯s jaw dropped nkly at his questioning tone. It seemed like she had no choice but to exin in blunt words for him to understand. She eximed with tears in her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s blood in m-my thing¡­ it¡¯s f-flowing!¡± The blood from Riftan¡¯s face drained in an instant. Max¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of his chiseled, tanned face turning white as a piece of parchment. He walked over and proceeded to check every corner of her body with evident shock and anxiety. ¡°Blood is flowing¡­ where on earth is it? How did you hurt yourself? Show me where, we have to get you treated right away!¡± Max felt terrified that he would really check where the blood was flowing from, but Riftan seemed even more frightened than she was. Max desperately dissuaded him, who was trying to strip her of her clothes to identify where she was bleeding from. ¡°I-it¡¯s n-nothing like that! I wasn¡¯t h-h-hurt! I¡¯m not hurt!¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re bleeding!¡± Heavens. He really didn¡¯t seem to have a single clue about what women have to regrly go through. Max didn¡¯t know whether to react by bursting intoughter or scream in frustration. She decided to calm him down first and exin asposed as she could. ¡°In t-this world¡­ all women at m-marrying age¡­ b-bleed regrly. It¡¯s a very¡­ natural urrence. My n-nanny said¡­ to be able to bear children¡­ that is the p-proof.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Aren¡¯t you sick or hurt?¡± Max nodded with conviction. Riftan¡¯s eyes frowned slightly, looking at her in disbelief and suspicion, and asked. ¡°Where on earth are you bleeding from then?¡± Max turned red as a beet. She never dreamed of ending up in such an embarrassing situation. Did she really have to exin everything to him by herself? She hesitated for a moment, then whispered in his ear even though there was no one else around. They may encounter the same circumstance in the future, it would be better for her to exin everything properly than to be subjected any longer to such an embarrassing situation. ¡°Is that¡­ true?¡± After hearing her exnation, Riftan¡¯s eyes drifted down to her, his eyes widening in disbelief. The color in his face still hadn¡¯t returned. ¡°Are you sure? Down there¡­ it¡¯s normal for blood to flow?¡± ¡°It¡¯s-it¡¯s perfectly normal! It¡¯s something that all w-women have to g-go through.¡± ¡°This must have happened before. Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± ¡°Because I thought¡­ you k-knew¡­ f-for sure¡­. Usually this doesn¡¯t need to be e-exined¡­. My nanny said¡­ if I tell it indirectly¡­ you would k-know¡­¡± To her surprise, Riftan¡¯s cheeks blushed a little red. Riftan raised his voice and said his excuses, trying to justify his ignorance. ¡°Maxi, I grew up in a mercenary full of men. After I was knighted, I have been on expeditions and battlefields all my life. What on earth would I know about women? All I know is that women have breasts, there¡¯s no way of knowing what they¡¯re thinking, and that they may bear children!¡± Max looked at him doubtfully. He made it sound like he had never had an intimate lover before who could have taught him everything there is to know about women. She was skeptical as she scanned with her eyes his angr, masculine face, intense dark orbs, and his chiseled body; everything was in symmetry. He was too perfect and handsome to im that he doesn¡¯t know much about women. Even if Riftan didn¡¯t actively seek out mates, he still would have women flock around him. Max remembered the two brazen women at the festival who flirted with him. It was unlikely that a man having vigorous desires like Riftan would have been able to resist such aggressive temptations. She red at him sharply with jealousy.
Note ¨C Nymeria: I was a bit angry in the first part tbh. Maxi¡¯s irregr cycle back in the duchy was most certainly due to her being malnourished¡­ Ugh, that sorry excuse for a father! And the poor child doesn¡¯t know anything and thinks it¡¯s another ¡°w¡±¡­ Oh sweet baby! ?? But then Riftan lighted up the mood and made meugh so hard, oh boy, I had to stop reading for a moment there because I wasughing soo much lmaooo Chapter 175 Chapter 175 ¡°You must kn-know more than just that¡­you knew what to do¡­ with me¡­¡± ¡°What about you?¡± He arched an eyebrow interrogatively. Max bit her lips, hesitating to utter the words that wouldn¡¯t normallye out of her mouth. ¡°B-before I got m-married to you, Riftan¡­ I didn¡¯t know¡­ w-what couples do with th-their bodies. But Riftan¡­ k-knew how. You knew h-how to do that¡­ to m-me¡­ everything I know, I l-learned from you¡­¡± Max was so embarrassed that she stuttered so bad, almost biting her tongue. It sounded like she was using him of using techniques that he must have learned from other women on her, but at the same time she didn¡¯t know where else in the world he had learned that from. She couldn¡¯t figure out why she was being so bothered and asked him about this topic. Riftan seemed more confused than she was as he did not understand the intent of her question. Then, he opened his lips to speak, embarrassed of his slow-wittedness. ¡°Well, 90% of what the mercenaries say is lewd. When those men open their mouths, they brag about their techniques on how to pleasure women. I¡¯ve been hearing those kinds of things since I was fourteen. All I know are the basics, not to mention they¡¯ve probably exaggerated more than half the facts.¡± He exined with an ufortable expression and looked at her nervously. He quickly cleared his throat, trying to get away from the embarrassing conversation. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m d you¡¯re not injured. Does anything hurt?¡± ¡°My stomach hurts a little¡­ and I feel lethargic¡­ but it is tolerable.¡± ¡°You look pale and tired.¡± He caressed her cheek and sighed, before turning back to the tub.n¡°I¡¯ll bathe on my own, soy on the bed and rest.¡± Max silently obeyed and crawled under the covers. She curled up on the bed and fought the throbbing pain as he bathed. For a long moment, all she heard were the gentle sshes of the water from behind her. When he was finally warmed up, he pulled on some cotton pants and slid in beside her. He dug under the covers and pulled her close, holding her tight as he rubbed soothing circles on her aching belly with his warm palms. Max let out a long groan at the pleasant relief. His heated body behind her gently melted her tense muscles. Riftan pushed an arm under her head and rubbed his lips over her shoulders and cheeks. ¡°I hate that you have to go through this. How often does this happen?¡± ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s irregr.¡± Max answered vaguely. His ignorance was in some way weed, as she didn¡¯t want him to know that she was spottypared to average women. She felt both relief and guilt when she buried herself in his arms. She inhaled his unique scent and trembled sweetly. Riftan buried his face in her hair and took in her scent as well, as if he wanted to possess herpletely, then let out a sigh. ¡°I hope it ends soon.¡± She could feel that he really hated when she was in pain, and not because she was not avable to satisfy him carnally. Riftan continued to draw soothing circles on her tight abdomen and caressed her pale cheeks, as if she was a delicate flower bud that could wither at the slightest pressure. Max rested her head on his forearm and slowly fell into a deep sleep next to him. *** The soft, light rain continued for several days in a row, sprinkling the green leaves like dew. Sometimes the golden sun peeked from behind the thin rain clouds and softly smiled over the garden. The serene beauty of nature warmed Max¡¯s heart as she sat by the window, studying the magical formtions Ruth left her. As soon as the pain in her abdomen subsided, she nned to collect some herbs, stop by Ruth¡¯s tower and study how to formte herbs for medicinal use. She was desperately trying to learn all that Ruth left for her in case of emergencies. Everything had been peaceful and quiet in Anatol, but there was no guarantee that it wouldst. However, it was not an easy feat to learn many new things on her own without guidance. Anatol was and full of monsters, therefore subjecting her and her people to turbulent changes. New problems, big and small, crop up everywhere amid their busy lives. In just her nearly half a year of her stay at Anatol, Max had encountered more changes than in her twenty-two years. From these experiences, she learned how valuable it was to always be prepared. She couldn¡¯t afford to waste time strolling leisurely. Max woke up as early as she could in the morning, studying magical or medicinal herbs. In her spare time, she would go to the infirmary and treat the wounded just as Ruth would have. When she started, the soldiers were ufortable and tired of the presence of The Lady of the Castle in the infirmary, but now they epted her as if it was her natural ce. Max always made time to visit the infirmary and apply healing magic to at least five to ten wounded men. Subsequently, she would treatmon ailments like colds, headaches, and insomnia with various herbal remedies. With her devoting so much of her time and strength to this job, there was no way she could keep this a secret from Riftan any longer. That day Max stopped as usual by the infirmary to treat the minor injuries of the guards and soldiers when suddenly she felt an ominous chill behind her. She slowly turned around and saw Riftan, his tall andmanding bodypletely blocking the narrow entrance to the infirmary, staring at her. Seeing the cold, hardened expression on his face, Max swallowed nervously. Hebaron was standing behind him shaking his head as if he knew what wasing, and Gabel just kept his mouth shut and hunched his shoulders as if weighed down with guilt. Riftan approached her like a predator tiger. ¡°Would you mind exining what¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°¡­ A soldier was i-injured. I¡¯m h-here to heal him¡­¡± Max moved her eyes around nervously and when she found the soldier with the broken leg, she quickly cast a healing spell on him. Riftan¡¯s expression hardened even more as he narrowed his eyes further at her. She quickly straightened up and smiled stiffly at him. ¡°Now¡­ I think I did e-everything I could here¡­ I have another job to attend to.¡± She tried to sneak away but of course Riftan wasn¡¯t going to let her go so easily. He growled as he grabbed her arms, hard. ¡°I heard it¡¯s been a while since you started pretending to be a healer here. Why am I finding out about it only now?¡± ¡°You are always so b-busy. I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to bother you¡­ with something so unimportant¡­¡± Riftan¡¯s rage only intensified at her half-hearted excuse. ¡°Cut the bullsh*t! You deliberately hid it from me!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t h-hide it l¡­I just didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡± ¡°Is that all you have to say? Damn, I just didn¡¯t know what my wife was doing all day. I feel like a fool! How could you do this behind my back knowing how much I care about you?!¡± Max, who was sweating profusely and trying to think of something usible as an excuse, suddenly frowned. Why in the world was she hearing these usations from him? As the thoughts of her efforts flowed through her head, Max began to get angry. She looked into his eyes; her expression full of rebellion. ¡°W¡­ what did I do wrong?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I only healed the¡­wounded k-knights. Is that a-a bad thing? Is that something¡­ to be scolded for?¡± ¡°Damn it, don¡¯t change the subject! You promised mest time that you wouldn¡¯t overdo it again¡­! ¡° ¡°I¡¯m n-not overdoing it! For the past two weeks I haven¡¯t d-depleted my mana and I haven¡¯t felt dizzy o-once.¡± She argued. She refused to not stand her ground and when Riftan¡¯s face showed a slight tremor, Max continued her assault. ¡°And I¡¯m not doing anything d-dangerous. I was only taking care of the wounded m-men¡­ inside the castle where it is s-safe.¡± ¡°Damn it! You are the Lord¡¯s wife, my wife! Why are you ying at being a healer?¡± ¡°Because I c-can do it!¡± Max gave a reprimand, startled at her boldness. She had lived the entirety of her life bogged down with the obsession of being a useless stutterer who couldn¡¯t do anything. The nanny constantly reminded her that the words of a husband arew to a wife. You must unconditionally obey and ept everything you do. But here she was now, disobeying and arguing with her husband. Had she gone mad? Calming down a bit, Max spoke in a softer tone as she swallowed the lump caught in her throat. ¡°Now¡­ there is no o-one except me who can use healing magic in this castle. I won¡¯t work too hard and¡­ I have more mana now¡­ so you don¡¯t have to worry about me getting sick again.¡± At her docile tone, Riftan also calmed down and tried to speakfortably to Max. ¡°I¡¯ll hire a healer as soon as possible. I hate the idea of ??you doing this. Why do you insist on trying unnecessarily?¡± ¡°Why¡­ why can¡¯t I work hard too? Riftan¡­ Ruth and all the knights¡­ do all kinds of difficult tasks every day¡­ why am I the only one who can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Damn it! you are different from us, you are the daughter of a duke!¡± In his outburst, Max turned red. For the first time in her life, she was overwhelmed by the need to hit someone. ¡°W-what does that mean? Princess Agnes¡­ can do all kinds of dangerous things. What¡¯s so special about a duke¡¯s daughter?!¡± Riftan was speechless. He couldn¡¯t find the words to refute her argument. Hebaron, who was looking to the side with his arms folded, whistled slightly. ¡°Has themander been pushed to a corner?¡± Riftan red at him before turning his attention back to her. ¡°The princess is a high-level wizard who has umted years of experience since childhood! How do youpare to her?¡± He spat and breathed heavily. Even Hebaron, who was watching the couple quarrel with a smirk, covered his forehead with his palm at the sheer stupidity of hismander¡¯s recklessness. Max looked up at Riftan and lowered her head in defeat as her eyes prickled with tears. She couldn¡¯t argue because she knew it was true, but did he have to shout out her ipetence in front of everyone? She felt her pain increase. ¡°Damn¡­ what I meant was¡­¡± Max swatted the hand thatnded on her shoulder. Riftan stiffened in shock at her unseen act of rudeness, but Max just looked at him before walking out and mming the door. ¡°For the time being¡­I d-don¡¯t want to see you!¡±
Note ¨C Nymeria: YOU GO MAXI! Tell this dork what you can do! She¡¯s not *pretending* to be a healer, she is a healer! Girl I wanted to hit someone too?? (Also, as always Hebaron is the most rtable character, love him!!) Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Although Max said that she did not want to see his face, that was impossible since they shared the same room. Seeing him was inevitable. That was why Max decided to take the childish approach: the silent treatment. ¡°Maxi, let¡¯s talk.¡± Riftan, who retired to their room earlier than usual, paced near the bed anxiously. Like a caterpir, Max simplyy motionless on the bed with the covers over her head. Riftan reached out and tugged at the covers, but she held on with all her power with trembling fingers. She even made snoring sounds, like she was trying to give him a hint. ¡°Damn it, I know you¡¯re not asleep. Get up.¡± He was probably getting more agitated as the force pulling on the nkets grew harsher, but Max just squeezed her eyes shut, doing her best not to lose the coverage that the nkets offered. She heard a rustling sound on the bed¡¯s spot near her. ¡°Are you really going to keep doing this? A while ago I was¡­¡± Riftan¡¯s voice suddenly switched to a weaker tone. Then, as if he had given up, the pulling of the covers stopped and she felt them sink into the bed as he sat next to her. After a moment of heavy silence, he spoke again in a cold voice. ¡°Fine, do whatever you want.¡± Riftan took off his shoes andy down next to her. Max, feeling resentful, squirmed as far away from him as possible and snuggled up. She didn¡¯t want to talk to him, but when he gave up so easily on trying to reconcile with her, she actually felt upset. What the hell did she want anyway? Did she want him to hold her, tofort her? And apologize for harsh words? Either way, Max felt betrayed by his cold-hearted attitude. The cold war continued the next day too. Max hid under the covers until Riftan reluctantly left her alone. Only then did she get up and go to hide in Ruth¡¯s tower. She spent the day reading and grinding herbs as usual, but Riftan¡¯s harsh words kept repeating in her mind and she could hardly concentrate. Max slumped on the desk and bit her lip. No matter how hard she worked and how aplished she became, Riftan didn¡¯t recognize her. Furthermore, skill wise, she couldn¡¯t even reach the tips of the toes of the beautiful royal wizard that could have been his wife. She knew she was thinking irrationally, but she couldn¡¯t help it. Riftan made it clear that he had no intention of including her in his life outside of the bedroom, which was practically limited to five hours a day. Max was like a pet cat, sitting in the room all day to only receive an asional pet at his convenience. Yet why did her heart hurt so much? She was used to being rejected and living as useless. She couldn¡¯t focus on her work because these self-deprecating thoughts consumed her. Usually at that time of day, she would stop by the infirmary, but she hesitated for a long time. Just the day before she had such a heated and embarrassing screaming fight in front of everyone, she wasn¡¯t sure if she had skin thick enough to face everyone. But the idea of ??not showing up hurt her pride, everyone would believe that she was defeated by his verbal attack. Max frowned. She didn¡¯t want to be known as a shy and weak-hearted woman. She was afraid of beingpared to the energetic and brilliant princess. After a prolonged infighting, she finally went to the infirmary, with a bag full of prepared herbs. As she walked towards the knights¡¯ quarters where the infirmary was located, as expected, the knights looked at her with uneasy eyes. She wanted to make excuses, saying she was only there to restock the medicine cabs. When she reached the entrance to the training ground, she hid behind therge iron gates and looked around to see if Riftan was near, then quickly ran towards the knights¡¯ quarters. As she sneaked into the infirmary through the side door, she saw a gentleman with bandages around his wrist. He immediately straightened up and bowed politely to her when their eyes met. ¡°Greetings, Lady Calypse. I didn¡¯t think you wereing today.¡± ¡°I came to replenish the herbs¡­ the pain reliever is r-running out¡­¡± She uttered almost iprehensible words and looked at his wrist. ¡°Did you h-hurt your wrist? Would¡­ would you like me to cast a healing spell on it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I wove a bandage around it so the impact doesn¡¯t hurt my joints when I wield my sword.¡± The knight smiled kindly and waved his hand dismissively. Max sighed, relieved. She was concerned Riftan had given strict orders forbidding her to enter the infirmary, but based on the gentleman¡¯s attitude, that seemed not to be the case. She rxed at the desk by the window and began sorting out the herbs she brought. The knight bowed quickly and left. The sound of swords shing echoed in the background as Max arranged the herbs in wooden boxes, when suddenly a loud voiceing from the door broke her concentration. ¡°Oh, have you already reconciled with themander?¡± Max turned and smiled ambiguously. ¡°G-greetings, Sir Nirta.¡± ¡°Greetings, Lady Calypse.¡± Hebaron entered and greeted her with a low, exaggerated bow. ¡°Are you feeling any better?¡± ¡°I d-don¡¯t feel particrly bad.¡± The truth was, she felt like aplete disaster. Max mmed the lid shut to close the medicine box. Seeing her grim face, Hebaron grinned knowingly as if he understood the whole situation from her expression. ¡°Ah, I see. You two are still at war.¡± ¡°No-No, I¡¯m not at war.¡± Max red at his rudeness. However, Hebaron, whom she knew was the type to tease and pick on others, didn¡¯t even blink at her disy of ferocity. Max just sighed and changed the subject. ¡°What¡­ what brings you here, are you hurt?¡± ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m perfectly fine. A couple of us are on our way to subdue nearby monsters, so I¡¯m here to collect some emergency supplies.¡± ¡°O-On that shelf, I put the hemostatic medicine¡­ poison antidotes, and healing salves in that bag there¡­¡± Hebaron walked over to the shelf and grabbed the sack and left the infirmary with a leap in his footsteps. Max spent the rest of her time sitting by the desk and reading about southern medicine. She needed to get back before the sunsets. It was early, but Riftan coulde back early again and she didn¡¯t want to meet him. Returning, she quickly ate dinner and got into bed. This time, he returned only after she really fell asleep. Max was being diligent in avoiding him. Every day she went to bed early and started the dayte so, after beingpletely ignored for three days, Riftan¡¯s patience finally ran out. Max was in the infirmary tending to the knights¡¯ scrapes and bruises when Riftan suddenly appeared. Hebaron and a couple of other gentlemen sneakily followed behind him, not wanting to miss a single second of the pair¡¯s fighting spectacle. She looked at them briefly and quickly lowered her head before pretending to jot down notes on a parchment. Riftan walked over to the desk and looked down at her with a grim expression. ¡°Maxi, talk to me.¡± He begged, but Max didn¡¯t even bother to lift her head, while her quill moved against the parchment. She could feel his fierce gaze piercing the crown of her head. ¡°Maximillian Calypse, can¡¯t you hear me?¡± Riftan uttered word per word. ¡°Sir Nirta.¡± Max turned to Hebaron, who was leaning against the wall. The knight leaped to his feet and looked at her in confusion, while ignoring Riftan who was persistently staring at her. ¡°Can you tell the person in front of me¡­ that I have n-nothing to say?¡± There was an eerie silence. Hebaron looked between her and Riftan before hesitantly opening his mouth. ¡°Commander¡­ your wife has nothing to say to you.¡± ¡°I heard it!¡± He gritted his teeth and hit the desk so hard Max was sure it would break. ¡°I have something to say.¡± ¡°Sir Nirta.¡± Hebaron looked at her with obvious difort on his features, but Max simply pretended she hadn¡¯t noticed and continued. ¡°Please tell the person in front of me¡­ that I don¡¯t want to h-hear what he has to say¡­¡± ¡°Commander¡­ your wife said that she¡­¡± ¡°I have ears too!¡± Riftan screamed through gritted teeth, then lowered his head and held her face in his hands, trying to force her to look into his eyes. But Max stubbornly fought to avoid it. Desperate and agitated, he waspletely lost. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend I¡¯m not here. Look at me and talk to me!¡± ¡°N-no¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± Riftan inhaled deeply at her answer. He opened his mouth to speak, his tonepletely broken. ¡°Maxi, I spoke wronglyst time. I never wanted to demean or ignore your achievements.¡± He continued to desperately appeal to her even as she continued to avoid gaze. ¡°I was just worried about you. I don¡¯t want to be a burden to you! If you are faced with this role, people will not stop pestering you to heal them. One day you may get into a situation like before. Damn it, I don¡¯t want you to suffer from that!¡± ¡°Do you¡­ do you think I can¡¯t h-handle that¡­ Riftan?¡± Max, whose gaze was still fixed on the wooden desk, managed to mutter in a suppressed voice. ¡°Probably it¡¯s because you think¡­ I can¡¯t be as good as Princess A-agnes. That¡¯s why¡­ you¡¯re s-so worried.¡± ¡°Why does that name keep popping up? Damn it, forget about Princess Agnes!¡± Riftan ruffled his head in defeat. ¡°Maxi, please. Look at me. Look at my face and talk to me.¡± The desperation in his tone was simr to that of a pitiful child. Unable to resist, Max slowly raised her head. Riftan groaned in pain at the tears gathering around her eyes. ¡°Really, I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡± He panicked and grabbed her face with his big hands again. ¡°I just want you to live afortable life.¡± ¡°Even if I-I¡­ don¡¯t want that?¡± She murmured in a very tight tone and looked at his surprised expression, as if her words had just stabbed him in the heart. She forced herself to speak and her voice came out trembling. ¡°Riftan¡­ I don¡¯t want to livefortably¡­ I¡­ want to do something I¡¯m capable of. Learning new things¡­ using m-magic¡­ it¡¯s amazing and fun¡­ and rewarding¡­ when you tell me you don¡¯t want me to do a-anything¡­ it breaks my heart.¡± Riftan pursed his lips and lowered his head inplete defeat. His expression was full of despondency. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± He muttered helplessly. ¡°If you really want to be a healer, then do it. Just please don¡¯t look at me with that face. Never avoid me.¡± Riftan was like a sobbing child pleading for his parents¡¯ love. She was the one hurt by his words, so why did he look like someone who had been tortured for days and days? Max looked into his eyes doubtfully. When she realized he was waiting for an answer, she gave a slight nod of her head. Riftan¡¯s shoulders, rigid with tension, dropped visibly with relief and he pulled her tightly into his arms. At that moment, the knights who were silently watching their fight broke into apuse for the satisfying conclusion. Max¡¯s face turned beet red as she realized she had such a childish fight in front of an audience, but Riftan only growled violently at the intrigued knights. ¡°Get out of here if you¡¯re done watching.¡±
Note ¨C FL: this is one of the funniest chapter to me XD I love how Maxi involved Sir Nirta HAHAHA Nymeria: SOOO we had actualmunication here! That¡¯s so fricking rare, I¡¯m satisfied T^T Hopefully they can start to develop a more mature rtionship from now on, as equals! Also, Maxi is so cute when she¡¯s angry, I keep being reminded of my red cat hissing when I piss him off lmao (And we all know that the one who started the apuse was Hebaron, right?) Chapter 177 Chapter 177 ¡°Aw, I guess the nice show is over?¡± Hebaronnguished on the sidelines. The knight standing next to him punched him in the side with an elbow, warning him that hismander was staring at them shooting daggers from his eyes. Riftan¡¯s menacing expression was so cold that the knight¡¯s grinning faces vanished in an instant. ¡°By the way, whose turn is it to go out and patrol the construction site¡­?¡± ¡°Haha, is it already time for that? Let¡¯s get out of here, Sir Nirta.¡± The knights rushed out of the infirmary as if pushed by an invisible force and dragged Hebaron with them. Max discreetly looked at her husband¡¯s face, wondering if she had damaged his pride in front of his men, but Riftan simply looked at the retreating knights with a nk expression. Then he turned to her and lowered his head. Warm, soft lips glided gently over her skin, leaving feather-like kisses on the way and Max¡¯s nose turned red in embarrassment. ¡°Don¡¯t k-kiss me. I¡¯m¡­still angry.¡± Max turned to avoid it. ¡°You sure know how to torment a man.¡± He gently wrapped her closely with one hand, wearing a wry smile. A low sigh tumbled down her hair. ¡°But really, please, end it now. You have tormented me more than enough for three days.¡± Max narrowed her eyes at his ridiculousness. She only ignored him for three days, and yet there he was behaving as if she had tortured him. Max then gave him a coy look. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to i-intimidate you.I¡­ I was angry.¡± ¡°It was really terrifying.¡± Riftan, who was previously being yful, suddenly had a serious glint to his eyes. ¡°Maxi, like I said, if you really want to be a healer here, do it¡­But I shall soon find another healer.¡± Max couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment. ¡°I-is it because you don¡¯t trust me¡­ enough?¡± ¡°I know you have talent.¡± As if he wasn¡¯t happy with the fact that she was, one of his eyes wrinkled. ¡°Everyone¡¯s talking about how well you¡¯re doing and that¡¯s how it appears to me too. But you¡¯re only been learning magic for a few months, no novice wizard can handle the healing of hundreds of men. You need someone to assist you.¡± ¡°¡­We won¡¯t know that until I t-try¡­¡± Riftan¡¯s face hardened at her glum retort. ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn. You can¡¯t stay here all day to heal and treat people.¡± Max gave him a dissatisfied expression, but Riftan was right. If a serious ident happened likest time, she would not be able to handle it alone. She had no reason to object to having another healer present, so she nodded reluctantly and Riftan stroked her cheek soothingly. ¡°I¡¯ll get another healer. Don¡¯t try to carry all the burdens on your shoulders.¡± Max sighed in resignation. The fact that Riftan conceded to her that day meant a lot, it was a far step from his usual attitude. He was the kind of person who couldn¡¯t stand still watching a grain of dust fall on her shoulders, let alone such a heavy weight, so she decided to settle for his permission as for the moment. After making sure she was no longer upset with him, Riftan left the infirmary and made her promise not to go to sleep today without waiting for him. Thus, Max was now the official healer of Castle Calypse. With Riftan¡¯s permission, the knights who hesitated to receive treatment from her due to their fear of themander now came freely. They came with bruises, cracked heels and torn palms, all from training incidents. Sometimes even servants and cksmiths passed by to get treatment. Max piled magic books in the infirmary so she could simultaneously study magic and attend to the wounded. The number of wounded gradually increased; doubling, now tripling to the point that she ran out of medicines. Max secretly begged for a healer toe soon as her work piled over. However, finding another healer was not as easy as she thought. All the wizards who came to Anatol to purchase magical items left a long time before for Livadon. The small number of wandering wizards, who belonged to guilds or mercenaries, were also hired ormissioned by other territories and the northwest. After running around and using his connections, Riftan was able to obtain an elderly wizard in his seventies from Count Robern, in exchange for a forced military alliance the Count had wanted. ¡°This is the first time in my life that I have been ripped off like this.¡± Riftan was disgusted by the fact that he formed an alliance with beyond unfavorable means in return for a mere wizard. ¡°I just hope to God this wizard isn¡¯t that old. I just need him to live long enough to serve Anatol well.¡± However, contrary to his hopes, the wizard was a slim old man, who appeared to be in his eighties, escorted by six assistants. Max, who came out to greet the guest, looked at the thin old man in surprise, and was very curious how such a frail person could survive the journey through the Anatol mountain range. The old wizard¡¯s clothing was baggy and unkempt, his back was almost bent into a question mark, his old gray face was covered in wrinkles, and his scattered beard resembled that of corn silk. He entered the great hall with slow, wobbly steps, as if he might fall at any moment and bowed politely to them in greeting. Riftan groaned in exasperation. ¡°My name is Medrick Aron. To be weed by the most renowned knight in Whedo-¡± The wizard was cut off by his own sporadic coughing. ¡°Dear Lord¡­¡± Riftan looked at him in disbelief and asked calmly. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°This humble man turned¡­ sixty-eight this year.¡± Max was surprised. The wizard didn¡¯t look his age at all; he probably subtracted at least ten years from his actual age and it seemed that Riftan was also thinking the same thing. It was clear that Count Robern had ripped them off, but instead of venting his anger out at the poor old man, Riftan ordered the men to take him to his room and immediately called for a messenger ¡°Are you¡­ going to c-confront the Count about this?¡± ¡°Of course, we shouldin. There is nobody in this world who should dare deceive me and get away with it so easily.¡± Riftan growled like a beast, then rubbed his neck in annoyance. ¡°But it will be difficult to send that old man back. From the looks of it, I don¡¯t think he can handle the journey through Anatol again.¡± ¡°He may be so tired from traveling¡­ that he appears more haggard t-than usual. After he rests and regains his energy¡­ I¡¯m sure he will be a fine healer.¡± Riftan looked at Max who was trying to console him and herself. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t add more patients to your list.¡± Maxughed awkwardly at his words, not sure whether it was meant to be a joke or truth. But contrary to Riftan¡¯s concerns, Medrick was visibly rejuvenated after a good meal and two days of sleep in a soft, luxurious bed. After confirming that he was healthy enough, Max guided him through the infirmary located at the training ground. The old man looked pitiful and frail, but his eyes glittered with decades of extensive knowledge in the healing arts. After examining the medicines in the infirmary, Ruth¡¯s salves and potions, he untied the leather pouches wrapped around his waist. ¡°The variety of medicinal herbs here is limited. I have over 60 herb seeds here for medicinal uses. Could the servants prepare a nearby field to nt these?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an h-herb field¡­ behind the great hall, but there may not be enough room for¡­ more than 60 seeds¡­¡± ¡°My herbs will grow well even in a rough soul. If I could have a small field that I can plow and prepare, it would be great.¡± Max smiled at the old man¡¯s ambition and motivated attitude. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the servants¡­ to prepare it. Please d-don¡¯t do it yourself.¡± ¡°I may not have the strength to plow the fields myself, but I can still sow the seeds. As long as the soil is taken care of, I can cultivate the harvest myself.¡± Eager to prove his worth at the castle, Medrick began his work on the new herb garden immediately. With the help of the servants, a new field was plowed, and fences were erected ording to his instructions. And as the magician said, he personally nted each seed. Max stood next to him and asked questions about each herb and he answered each of her questions patiently. From her brief interaction with the old man, she learned that while Medrick did not possess strong magical abilities, his medicinal knowledge far exceeded Ruth¡¯s. Additionally, he developed his own psychedelic magic to calm psychiatric conditions and various other magic to elerate the growth and health of vegetation. Max soon learned that Medrick was also knowledgeable with the use of illusory magic to calm patients, had mastered healing magic and had developed magic forms that made nts grow faster and healthier. However, he was not interested in treating wounds with magic. He enjoyed applying herbs, poultices, and sters that he made himself. The reasoning was because the excessive use of healing magic could lead to dependency. ¡°If the wound is not serious, it is better to let the body heal itself. After all, the human body is built to rejuvenate itself.¡± ¡°Why? P-perhaps¡­ are there any¡­ side effects from receiving long-term treatments using healing magic?¡± ¡°There are no physical effects, but eventually, the human mind will be dependent; they will lose their rationality and self-awareness, that as long as magic exists to heal them, they will believe they are capable of anything. Their pain tolerance will wear down and they will be increasingly dependent on wizards. The best thing for men is to endure pain and learn from their wounds.¡± Medrick looked at her carefully as he advised. ¡°Mdy, you must not cast magic for everyone who prompts for it. Mana is a part of our soul. Consuming too much mana has long-term effects on the body. Train your eyes to capture the severity of injuries so you can judge who needs what kind of treatment. The moment you fall into the well of healing everyone in sight, your life as a healer will be filled with frustration and suffering.¡± Medrick¡¯s teachings were very different from Ruth¡¯s and Max was immensely fascinated with this new way of thinking. Ruth would never give her such advice. He was an avid admirer of magic and he never hesitated to use his powers at any time. Compared to him, Max noted that Medrick was more cautious and wiser, and she immediately recognized that the man¡¯s healing method suited his feeble magic abilities much more. He immediately earned their respect and became her second advisor. From him, she learned the efficacy of various herbs, how to deal with different types of injuries, and tips on magic. While Medrick was not as good withplex magic as Ruth was, his knowledge of magic was still valuable. Under the direction of a new teacher, Max¡¯s skills also improved remarkably. Now she could sessfullyunch barriers using the earth as her medium. She was also able to improve her mana eleration. Now, unknowingly, she was reborn as a much morepetent wizard and healer. Anatol¡¯s prosperity was also increasing. With the construction of the road almostpleted, ranks of merchants from the south visited Anatol with their priceless cargoes. Seeing that the road construction was promising, they generously offered their endless support for the next project with the goal of expanding the port. It was a considerable investment for the fastest path to the western continent, the payoff would be great. Their territory rapidly evolved into a city from a small rural town. It was bustling so busily that it was unbelievable that a huge battle against monsters transpired in the northwest. If it weren¡¯t for Livadon¡¯s messengers, Max might havepletely forgotten about the countless armies of trolls. However, once every ten days, such terrible news arrived; castles were capsized by monsters and viges were devastatingly ransacked. To make matters even worse, the extremity of the situation and the magnitude of the monster army against the reinforcements dispatched from Whedon was muchrger than they had expected. It would most-likely ensue to a longer battle. Chapter 178 Chapter 178 The knights frequently discussed the monster¡¯s movement in every spare time. There were countless spections flying around the castle, starting from why Balto and Livadon were, until now, ignorant of the formation of a troll army sorge it could crowd the hignds, and even theories that there was a greater evil pulling the strings. Max listened to their discussions with a mix of terror and anxiety. As her visit to the infirmary became a regr urrence, the knights, who were wary of their conversations around her at first, began to discuss more openly. ording to recent news, there was a high possibility of both Osiria and Whedon sending additional reinforcements. ¡°During the Red Dragon expedition, Livadon sent troops to help. If Whedon does not reciprocate, the other six kingdoms will not follow suit, no matter what happens to Livadon in the future.¡± ¡°But¡­ Whedon has already s-sent sufficient reinforcements.¡± ¡°If it were enough, then the situation should have been improved by now. Yet the innocent citizens of Livadon continue to suffer and tremble in fear. This is a matter of exercising chivalry for us knights! Don¡¯t you think the six countries should be more active in suppressing the situation?¡± Max immediately realized that the knights were eager to leave Anatol and join the brutal war in Livadon. The younger knights seemed to burn with passion to jump into danger. She couldn¡¯t agree or refute their argument, so she only smiled vaguely. She thought that maybe Riftan also yearned to leave like them, but at the thought of him leaving her, she felt as if the ground beneath her was melting away. Max looked out the windows of the training ground¡¯s infirmary: the sun was setting, dyeing the surroundings with a hazy red, and the great protective wall around them cast a dark shadow. A flock of ck birds soared into the sky, crying mournfully. The knights undergoing harsh training under the reddish sky had a different wretched look to their faces. Looking up at the sky, Max wondered if any of those flying birds were messengers. Since the reinforcements left for the expedition, never did any of the messengers have brought good news. Or would good news regarding the situation improving be brought this time? She thought as she followed the p of the birds¡¯ wings, her anxiety and expectations colliding. ¡°Madam, kindly return to the great hall. The Lord will not be pleased to find out that you stayed here ¡®til evening.¡± Medrick spoke as he transferred a pot of boiled ointment into a small jar. The two young knights who were sitting next to her quickly smeared the ointments on their bruises and rose from their seats. ¡°Please allow us to escort you.¡± ¡°T-there¡¯s no need to, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°No matter how tight the security check is for visitors, an asional thief can get through. We won¡¯t be able to rest easily unless we see the Lady safely return.¡± Max couldn¡¯t help but smile at their enthusiasm. The knights no longer treated her like a guest who would one day leave. Some even actively expressed their favor towards her. Seeing this change warmed her heart. She felt as if she had finally been epted into the tightly knit rtionship that Riftan had with the knights. Max shyly epted their offer. ¡°Then¡­p-please do.¡± They smiled brightly and carried her heavy books in their arms. Before she left the infirmary, Max reminded Medrick not to work untilte. The old wizard moved to the bedroom located next to the infirmary. Due to his weak knees, it was difficult for him to climb the steep stairs every day, and not long after, he arranged a sturdy cab and a huge bookcase into his room. Max wanted to make sure that the new member would adjust well to the castle. Upon arriving at the great hall, she immediately instructed a maid to bring a nourishing dinner to Medrick¡¯s room and make sure he didn¡¯t sleep toote. Medrick was a motivated and diligent worker, but he wasn¡¯t in his top health, so she was concerned that he could copse one day from exhaustion. ¡°Is that wizard doing his job properly?¡± Riftan asked as soon as he got back to the bedroom,te as usual and stripped off his armor. Max took his coat and hung it on the rack, her eyes opening wide at his question. ¡°O-of course. He¡¯s working hard¡­ you don¡¯t have to w-worry.¡± ¡°Then why do you spend more time in the infirmary than before? When I asked Rodrigo, he said that you are there from morning ¡®til night¡­¡± ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯m learning a lot about h-herbs and magic from Medrick. H-he does most of the work. There¡¯s nothing¡­ that Medrick doesn¡¯t know when ites to medicine and healing techniques.¡± Riftan looked at her thoughtfully. ¡°How is his health? Is he fit to travel?¡± ¡°T-travel?¡± Max looked confused. Was Riftan nning to send him back to Count Robern? Her heart felt heavy at the thought of the enthusiastic old man pouring out his heart at his work. From what she had gathered, Count Robern was not a good master; he sent off an old man on a dangerous journey to Anatol, visibly tired and exhausted. Max quickly shook her head and tried to look steady. ¡°He¡­ has bad knees. It¡¯s hard for him to climb up and down the stairs. But he¡¯s really working hard! Even though Medrick isn¡¯t young¡­ he¡¯s very knowledgeable¡­ you-you can¡¯t send him back.¡± ¡°Calm down. I have no intention of sending off that wizard. I was just asking how he¡¯s doing.¡± Riftan sighed and waved a hand and Max studied his dark face with curiosity. It seemed like there was something he was contemting on. ¡°Is¡­ there something worrying you?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you.¡± Max closed her mouth at his cold words that immediately silenced her. She knew that this was his method of drawing the line, and that she should never cross it. Feeling her heart ache and a little bitter, she stormed away. Riftan looked at her and arched an eyebrow as he wiped his sweaty body with a wet towel. ¡°Why is mydy sulking again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not s¡­sulking.¡± ¡°Your lips are pouting.¡± He smiled mischievously, then pressed his hands to her cheeks and yfully rubbed her protruding lips. Max red at him with a flushed face. Riftan trailed kisses from her earlobes to the bottom of her neck and wrapped her in his arms, gently caressing her. Her heart, which felt heavy with unease, melted helplessly. It was rming how easily he could control her emotions. ¡°Get d-dressed. You will catch¡­a cold.¡± Riftan frowned and muttered as he held her face closer with one hand. ¡°I¡¯m not wearing clothes, and so should you.¡± His long fingers deftly unwrapped theces that held her dress. His hands slipped through the opening in the hem and gripped the sensitive tip of her chests. Wasting no more time, he quickly undressed her andid her on the bed. His copper-colored torsopletely overshadowed her nudity. Her breath hitched as she felt his blood pound through their pressed bodies, rapidly increasing the heat between them. Riftan erotically stroked her inner thigh and murmured in a low, husky voice. ¡°Nothing good happened today. Let me at least end the day on a pleasant note.¡± His eyes were wrapped in a dark shadow. Max wondered if there was any bad news that had arrived, and her chest suddenly became tight. She wanted to know what he was thinking, but she couldn¡¯t reprimand him for not divulging everything to her. Even she couldn¡¯t tell him everything about herself and true feelings. ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything else. Just focus on me.¡± Riftan¡¯s dissatisfied voice pierced like a needle through her thoughts that were tangled as a thread. He stared down at her, devouring her body with his eyes like a starved beast and swooped down to ovep their lips. Their hot, humid breaths mingled as they shared each other¡¯s taste, and all thoughts dissolved like sand in the wind. Max sighed exhratingly and wrapped his sturdy marble-like shoulders. *** A weekter in the afternoon, Max finally found out what was causing Riftan¡¯s concern. On an exceptionally hot day, three men, a messenger, and two escort knights, arrived at the castle. Max was grinding herbs in the infirmary when she heard murmurs from outside and went out to see what themotion was about. One of the messengers sat on his giant stallion holding a banner with the emblem of the royal family yelled. ¡°In the name of King Ruben, I have brought a royal decree for Riftan Calypse, Lord of Anatol!¡± Max¡¯s heart sank. For a message to be delivered at that time, it surely spelled bad news. While she stood not knowing what to do, Sir Obaron, who was supervising the training of the knights on behalf of Riftan, stepped forward and greeted the messenger. ¡°The Lord left for duties outside of the castle. Please allow me, Dominique Obaron, to receive the royal decree on behalf of our Lord.¡± The messenger narrowed his eyes and carefully scanned Sir Obaron, then took out a scroll hidden in his robe. ¡°Defeat falls upon the battle in Livadon. The knights gathered by alliance were shattered.¡± A chilling silence fell over the usual noisy field at once. Sir Obaron asked with a serious and hardened face. ¡°Were they ughtered?¡± The messenger shook his head. ¡°Half of them were forced to scatter as they continue to battle against the monsters; the other half are trapped in Louiebell Castle. We are not certain of the current situation as the monsters have set up a siege around the castle walls but if the troops are not rescued as soon as possible, they will all be ughtered.¡± ¡°Do you know what happened to the Remdragon Knights sent from Anatol?¡± ¡°Since the Remdragon Knights were ced in the front lines, they are probably all trapped inside Louiebell castle.¡± Max felt weak and stumbled backward. If not for Medrick, who caught her shoulders, she would have copsed on the ground. The faces of Ruth, Sir Elliot Karon, Lombardo, Uslin Rikaido, and all the other knights and soldiers shed before her eyes. If she was feeling so shocked by the news, she couldn¡¯t even imagine how the other knights felt. Max looked around and saw the knights¡¯ expressions turn cold and stern. Despite the heavy atmosphere, the messenger continued to deliver the imperial order with a solemn face. ¡°In ordance with the Treaty of Peace between the Seven Kingdoms, requests for additional reinforcements are to be sent from each kingdom. As Whedon¡¯s most powerful knight, Lord Riftan Calypse, shall obey the king¡¯smand and lead his Knights to Livadon!¡± ¡°Go and bring back the Lord this instance!¡± Sir Obaronmanded the surrounding men and looked at the messenger with the dignity of a knight. ¡°We need to know more about the situation. Pleasee inside the castle.¡± The messenger and the escorts dismounted from their horses and rushed towards the conference room located in the knights¡¯ quarters. Max paced around like a lost child. She also wanted to know the details, but it was obvious that it¡¯s not her ce to intervene. She wandered aimlessly through the infirmary before finally giving up and returning to the room at Medrick¡¯s insistence. After a while, Riftan returned to the castle and immediately entered the conference room with the other knights. It was painful to not know what was going on. Max bit her lip and promised herself that no matter what happens, she would get a detailed answer from Riftan. No one else probably knew but Ruth was a very dear person to her. He was her teacher and her first friend. Tears welled up around her eyes when she remembered how he got mad at her, saying goodbye as it felt like an ominous greeting. The critical situation of the knights sent for the expedition gave her a nerve-racking anxiety, but more than anything else the thought of Riftan having to leave for such a dangerous ce seemed to break her heart into pieces For how long will we not see each other this time? A few months, or even half a year? There was also the possibility of never seeing each other again. The situation didn¡¯t offer a certain oue, even the knights they sent for reinforcements did not foresee its gravity. That only meant even Riftan himself would not be safe from such danger. Max stared out the window desperately. She couldn¡¯t resist her worries and bolted out of the great hall. Note ¨C LF: Oh my goodness ? Nymeria: Hello dear readers, please read! We just want to say that our schedule is Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We¡¯re trying to keep the rhythm of three chapters per week, but when personal problems won¡¯t allow it we¡¯ll notify the dy in thement section of thest chapter posted. Posting on Saturday or Sunday is supposed to be a plus, when we can do it we will, but if we can¡¯t we won¡¯t notify you, since it¡¯s not a scheduled update. Thanks for understanding ?? Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Max passed the gates leading to the training grounds like a ghost carrying amp and the soldiers standing guard were taken aback at her arrival, but Max headed straight for the conference room without even looking in their direction. The moment she reached the front of the faintly lighted building, loud voices arguing pierced her eardrums. ¡°We can¡¯t wait that long! We must leave tomorrow at once! My point is, even if we hurry, it will take us at least twenty days!¡± ¡°Calm down, Sir Nirta. The Commander is right. There are only three to four small towns on the way to the border. It¡¯s hard enough to find necessities, let alone finding a vige with a proper guild of wizards. It will be too dangerous to travel to Livadon without a wizard. especially with the rise of monsters everywhere.¡± ¡°All the wizard guilds headed to Livadon! Everyone¡¯s aware of that. And due to the rise in monsters, all the Lords cling to their wizards, so how are we going to get a wizard in such a short time!¡± ¡°We can send a request to Osyria. They can lend us a high priest who is skilled in healing magic.¡± ¡°Hah! Don¡¯t you know how tight-fisted they are? It will take months before we can get a high priest from them.¡± ¡°The Central Temple is also sending additional reinforcements, we can travel with them¡­¡± ¡°Joining the Holy Knights will take at least three weeks of wandering around trying to meet with them in the middle! Fuck that! Get rid of those useless suggestions! It doesn¡¯t matter if we have a wizard or not. We have fought in much more dangerous situations than this! Have we not,mander?¡± Max froze on the spot and felt her heart sinking, in fear that Riftan would agree with Hebaron. The terrifying illustrations and descriptions of monsters that she read shed through her mind. Monsters with poisons powerful enough to melt bones in an instant, sub-racial monster species with strength six times that of humans, and dragon subspecies with powerful magical attributes¡­ No matter how strong the Remdragon knights were, they would not be able to survive the long journey unscathed. Max held her breath as she waited for Riftan¡¯s decision. She didn¡¯t have to wait long before hearing his low baritone voice. ¡°It¡¯s unreasonable to leave immediately tomorrow. Wait a little. In four days¡­ no, in three days, I¡¯ll get a wizard.¡± ¡°This is a waste of time! You¡¯ve been trying to acquire a wizard for months, but the only one you managed to get was that 80 year-old wizard! What more in two days¡­?¡± Hebaron, who had been shouting violently, suddenly became quiet. Should I keep eavesdropping like this? Max restlessly stood and leaned against the door, unaware that the voices had suddenly stopped. At that moment, the door swung open and Hebaron¡¯s huge figure protruded out. ¡°Who the hell has been rudely eavesdr-¡° the knight muttered menacingly, but his eyes widened to find Max in front of him. ¡°Lady Calypse? What are you doing here at this hour?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Max, who stiffened in surprise, took a step back. The other knights poked their heads out from behind Hebaron, looking at her curiously. Max blushed, feeling embarrassed to be caught red-handed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for d-disturbing. I¡¯m so anxious to know what¡¯s going to¡­ h-happen¡­¡± She muttered in a slurred voice. Riftan passed Hebaron and came out of the door. Max¡¯s shoulders sagged in fear of Riftan¡¯s chillingly hardened expression. Was he angry that she was wandering around the castle alone sote at night? He continued to re, staring at her with anger evident in his eyes, and yelled an order over his shoulder. ¡°Gabel, take her back to her room.¡± It was obvious that the order was addressed to dismiss her. Max¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to interfere. I¡­ I¡¯m just worried about everyone¡­ I wanted to know what you and the knights were nning to do¡­¡± ¡°And what can you do about it?¡± Riftan cut her off bitterly and Max looked at him with a broken expression, hesitating to speak. ¡°Maybe there is something I-I c-can do¡­¡± ¡°Gabel!¡± Riftan yelled fiercely, purposely interrupting her. ¡°Are you deaf? Take her back to the great hall right this instant, what are you doing standing around?!¡± Max pursed her lips as she realized that the knights behind him were ufortable with the situation. Hesitating, Gabel left the conference room and approached her. Riftan grabbed the doorknob and said in a chilling voice directed at her. ¡°Don¡¯t wait for me, go to sleep.¡± Then he closed the door, preventing her from speaking any more. Max reluctantly turned around. Gabel, who stood, took themp from her hand. ¡°Everyone is sensitive because of the bad news. Please forgive shall they speak harshly. They¡¯re all on the edge¡­¡± Max grinned at Gabel to ease his mood but it came out forced and rigid. ¡°It¡¯s f-fine. Rather, I should¡­ apologize for bothering you. I just couldn¡¯t wait a-a little longer¡­¡± He raised themp so they could see the steps in front of them and looked up at her with a softened expression. ¡°Mdy had a close friendship with the wizard. It¡¯s not unreasonable for you to worry.¡± They climbed the stairs in silence for a while. Max had too much on her mind. Riftan¡¯s intimidating attitude and his arguments in the conference room were constantly reying in her head. It was only when they crossed the garden, that she carefully opened her mouth to ask. ¡°Do you really need a magician¡­ for the e-expedition? When¡­ you left for the capital the other time¡­ you went without Ruth.¡± Gabel paused for a moment and let out an awkward smile. ¡°The route to Drakium is lined withrge towns and cities. There are countless guilds on the way, we can get treatment, or even hire a temporary wizard from the city¡¯s mercenaries. However, there are no such things between Anatol and Livadon. If we get injured, there will be no ce to get treatment, so traveling without a wizard would be burdensome.¡± ¡°Me¡­¡± Max barely squeezed the courage out when they reached the top of the stairs. ¡°How about taking¡­me?¡± She could feel the scrutinizing gaze of the knight, even in the total darkness of the night. She wanted to look confident, but couldn¡¯t hide her trembling hands. Finally, Gabel responded after a while. ¡°¡­ the Commander would never give his permission.¡± Max shut her mouth at the obvious fact, but after retiring in the bedroom, the idea did not leave her mind. She snuggled into the bed, pondering ways to persuade Riftan. She noticed the looks on the faces of the knights. They also considered it a possibility, but no one dared to speak her name out. Her heart pounded anxiously. There was no way Riftan could go to a ce full of monsters undefended. She couldn¡¯t allow them to go without a healer to take care of them; even if they had the most perfect defense, even if they were the best knights in the world. She bit her lip as she waited for Riftan to open the door. No matter how angry he got, she vowed not to back down. She would not tolerate her husband being sent to the battlefield defenseless. Max waited all night, but Riftan never came back even as the dawn broke. She fell asleep for a moment, and was woken up with the sound of Rudis opening the door. When she saw her mdy lying ufortably at the foot of the bed, still wearing yesterday¡¯s clothes, her eyes widened. Max immediately jumped out of bed and ran over to her. ¡°Ru-Rudis¡­ Did Riftan leave already? I fell asleep for a while, I didn¡¯t see him¡­¡± ¡°The master slept in the knight¡¯s quartersst night.¡± ¡°Where is he¡­now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the drawing room meeting a merchant.¡± Max quickly rubbed the sleep from her eyes, which she closed for barely three hours, and quickly brushed her messy hair with her fingers and ran outside. As she descended the stairs, she saw Riftan and the merchant Aderon, sitting face to face in an antique, well-decorated drawing room. Max paused four steps from the bottom of the stairs. Their calm voices conversing echoed quietly in the hall. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to get a wizard from anywhere at the moment. The only way to acquire one is to hire from the Wizard Tower, but it¡¯s not easy as there are rules established amongst them, and even if we pass over that hurdle, it will take at least ten days.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait that long. How about contacting the nearby territories¡­?¡± Riftan trailed off when he noticed her. Max unconsciously backed away, but quickly regained her resolve and entered the room. There appeared a sharp tension on his face. ¡°We¡¯re still talking. Get out.¡± ¡°Rif-Riftan¡­ I also want to listen. Are you still trying to get a wizard? If that¡¯s the case, I¡­¡± ¡°I told you to get out.¡± Riftan¡¯s voice became low and grim. Max looked at him and then turned to Aderon. ¡°Is¡­ is it possible to hire a w-wizard three days from now?¡± The merchant¡¯s eyes darted from Riftan¡¯s rigid face to Max¡¯s wretched one, with a bewildered expression, and responded as calmly as possible. ¡°Sorry to say this, but¡­ it¡¯s practically impossible. The only nearby territories are Count Robern and Baron Luvein. As you already know¡­ Count Robern is not willing to lend his wizards while Count Luvein only has one wizard so he cannot be sent on an expedition.¡± ¡°You mean it¡¯s i-impossible then?¡± ¡°Maximillian!¡± Riftan¡¯s patiencepletely exploded as he yelled furiously. ¡°This is not a matter for you to dwell in! I told you to get out.¡± Max hesitated at hismanding attitude, but she looked him squarely in the eye without meaning to back away. ¡°I¡­ I am your wife. Why is it n-not a matter for me?¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with you.¡± She felt as if her heart was being stabbed by a thousand needles. Max felt like a child rejected by her parents and clenched her hands into a fist. ¡°It does matter to me! I¡­ I¡¯m a wizard! Riftan is aware of that right? I¡­¡± ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± His roar was simr to that of a fierce beast, and Max¡¯s entire body froze in an instant. There were several times that she experienced his anger, but this was the first time that he looked at her with such threatening and vicious eyes. Riftan looked coldly at Max, who flinched in fear, then turned to Aderon. ¡°I want one of Count Robern¡¯s wizards. It doesn¡¯t matter how much gold it takes. Can you give it a try?¡± ¡°We have contacts in Count Robern¡¯snd¡­ so we can try to contact one of his wizards by using an informant. However, if we are caught doing that, then our credibility¡­¡± The merchant blurred his words, as if there was no need to exin the consequences, but Riftan threw a heavy leather bag at him, whichnded with a heavy thud. ¡°If you make it happen, I will pay you ten times more. Persuade them by saying that whoever takes the deal will get five times of what Count Robren gives them.¡± The merchant took the heavy pouch and put it in his hand, then nodded with a sigh. ¡°I will do my best, but don¡¯t get your hopes up too high. The wizards who serve the count are like his vassals and have served the Robern family for generations. Therefore, it will not be easy to convince them.¡± ¡°Convince them, whatever it takes.¡± Riftan¡¯s tone was as sharp as a knife. He rose from his seat and Aderon followed suit, shoving the leather pouch into his arms. ¡°Then, I will report in two days about my progress¡±. The merchant bowed his head to both of them and left the drawing room. Max stood still and weighed the expression on Riftan¡¯s face. He picked up his cloak without meeting her eyes and went out. Max rushed after him, but Riftan¡¯s steps only became faster. She almost had to run to catch up with him. ¡°Riftan¡­ please¡­ please listen to me.¡±
Note ¨C LF: Riftan¡¯s too harsh on this chapter even though he¡¯s just trying to protect Maxi ? Nymeria: Riftan has to calm the f down or I¡¯m ready to throw hands! I take back what I said in the POV note?? Jk, we know he¡¯s only concerned about her safety, but that¡¯s too much Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Proofreader- Nymeria Riftan kept walking and looked straight ahead as if he heard nothing. Max ran to catch up with his wide strides. ¡°Ri-Riftan!¡± She screamed, almost begging, but he didn¡¯t even turn to look at her. Max red at his back as she rushed and ran down the stairs. When she finally reached him, she tugged at his cloak. Riftan stiffened in surprise and pushed her hand away. ¡°W-wait, listen to¡­ m-me¡­ please!¡± Max stumbled, but before she could finish, the hem of her skirt twisted around her legs and her whole body rocked forward. If it weren¡¯t for Riftan and his sharp reflexes, who reached out to grab her waist, she would have rolled down the stairs. Max clung to his arms with a pale face, then heard a curse pronounced harshly above her. ¡°Damn it¡­ what the hell were you thinking?! You almost got a big injury!¡± Riftan grabbed her by the shoulders and scolded her. Max¡¯s shoulders hunched in fear, but she red at him with defiant eyes. ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ R-riftan¡­ was ignoring m-me.¡± ¡°Damn, why can¡¯t you just let me go? Why the hell do you keep doing this? I don¡¯t want to hear those absurd thoughts going through your head!¡± Max lowered her eyes so as not to show him how devastated she was by his cruel words. But she couldn¡¯t whimper in this situation; she needed to show that she was not the weak and delicate nobledy that he believed her to be. Riftan would not hesitate to use her weakness topletely defeat her: she knew that he was determined not to take her with him out of Anatol, so she kept her emotions under control and spoke as calmly as she could. ¡°How¡­ how do you k-know it¡¯s ridiculous¡­ without even listening to what I have to say? Listen to me¡­ then d-decide¡­¡± Riftan¡¯s lips tightened into a thin line. Looking at her with eyes of burning coal, he released her and folded his arms over his chest and spat coldly. ¡°Fine. Go ahead.¡± No matter how reasonable and convincing she was, his bodynguage clearly screamed ¡°no¡± for whatever she was going to propose. Max swallowed dryly. ¡°The journey to Livadon¡­is very difficult, I heard. On such a journey¡­ it would be dangerous to go without a w-wizard¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it myself and get a new wizard.¡± ¡°You¡­ you may not be able to! A-Aderon said it may be i-impossible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your problem. it is mine and I will deal with it myself.¡± Max couldn¡¯t find words to say in response to his curt demeanor. Seeing that the conversation was over, Riftan turned to leave again, but Max clung desperately to his arm. ¡°I¡­ I know that Riftan c-can¡¯t trust me. But¡­ I studied really hard and I have more mana now. If you can¡¯t acquire a wizard in time¡­ then¡­ I-I¡¯ll take on the role of Ruth and¡­! ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Riftan lost his patience and raised his voice. ¡°Do you think this is some leisurely trip? As you said yourself, the road that leads to Livadon is difficult, yet you want me to bring you along a journey like that? I would rather die!¡± His thunderous voice echoed down the hall. He swept his hair and ruffled it violently. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you know magic. So, stop this now and don¡¯t bother me with this nonsense again.¡± Then, Riftan fastly strode down the stairs and Max failed to hold on to him. She just stood there nkly and watched him disappear from her sight. At the end of the corridors, the servants poked their heads out and looked to see what was going on. Max blushed and hurried off. Her heart sank heavily with grief, his cold rejection made her confidence crumble down. She returned to her room, depressed, and defeated. As the shock gradually subsided, the sadness was reced by anger. An anger she had never felt before bubbled up from deep within her. Riftan would rather die than take her to a dangerous ce. How can anyone be so selfish!? How could he force her to stay still in the castle while he leapt casually into danger? How could he not consider how she was feeling? Max nervously massaged her head. After the way their conversation ended, she was sure she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well that night. What was going to happen if he got infected with monster venom? What if he suffered from a fatal wound that couldn¡¯t be healed with mere medicinal herbs? If she were left behind, these thoughts would haunt her for months. Was this thefortable life he was obsessed with giving her? Max stared at the dark, empty corner of the room, then stormed off again. Even if she argued with him for a hundred days, it was all useless. First, she needed the knights on her side. She knew that Riftan¡¯s iron will could not be shaken, but the knights were in a different position. If they sided with her, they could pressure Riftan and persuade him for her. Max ran toward the training ground, clinging to herst bit of hope. The generally spacious training ground was packed with people. The Knights had already started preparing to leave for Livadon and the servants were rushing to help them. Max squeezed between the knights who were checking their weapons and horses that stomped their feet restlessly. She was afraid she would bump into Riftan, but luckily he was nowhere to be seen. He must have gone to give instructions to the construction site before leaving it. She looked around for a familiar face and quickly saw Hebaron sharpening a sword that was as big as her. She ran straight to him. ¡°Sir Nirta¡­ may I speak with you for a moment?¡± Hebaron, who was sitting on a wooden chair and tending to his sword, raised his head. ¡°What is it?¡± He rose to his feet, towering over her small frame, his annoyance clearly indicated in his darkened features and Max felt a little intimidated by it. Hebaron had lost all his usual optimism at the news that his colleagues were in danger. ¡°About y-yesterday¡­ I have something I want to say¡­¡± ¡°Say it.¡± Max looked around, a little flustered by his cold demeanor. Some of the other knights looked their way, but not everyone seemed to pay much attention. They were all busy checking their weapons and horses and tuning their swords. Max tried to sound as confident as possible as she fidgeted with the hem of her dress. ¡°I heard that a wizard is needed for the trip to Livadon¡­ I¡­ would like to take on that role¡­¡± Hebaron¡¯s eyes widened in shock at her request. He straightened up and gave her a thoughtful look. ¡°Mdy, thank you for the offer, but¡­ but did you get permission from the Commander?¡± Max¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Riftan¡­ he won¡¯t even listen to m-me¡­ I wanted to k-know what the knights were thinking¡­¡± Hebaron hesitated and couldn¡¯t answer her right away. ¡°Themander said he¡¯s trying to get one of Count Robern¡¯s wizards. So the Lady doesn¡¯t have to put herself at risk.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t get a w-wizard¡­ what will you do?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll go by ourselves¡­¡± ¡°Can you say¡­ with certainty that everyone can get to Livadon without o-one person being hurt?¡± Hebaron¡¯s strong jaw clenched. He didn¡¯t have to give her an answer; his expression was already an answer, so Max continued to speak in a firmer tone. ¡°As Sir Nirta k-knows¡­ since I started working in the infirmary¡­ My skills have improved a lot¡­ Even Medrick says I-I¡¯m better than the¡­ clumsy h-healer they had when¡­ he worked for the mercenaries.¡± ¡°Lady Calypse.¡± Hebaron cut her off, looking a bit embarrassed. ¡°Thedy is definitely talented. Everyone else was also surprised by your progress, and to be honest, it¡¯s not like we didn¡¯t think about the Lady taking Ruth¡¯s ce. But madam, this journey will not be easy. I won¡¯t be able to get a carriage for the Lady likest time. The Lady will have to travel on horseback all day and camp until we reach a town or city. You will be exposed to countless dangers and monsters¡­ besides, thedy knows no other type of magic than healing.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s not the case! I also l-learned defensive magic.¡± Max raised her head high and countered. ¡°I can make barriers¡­ strong enough. Although it¡¯s difficult to build a big one¡­ but at least I-I can protect myself.¡± The truth was, she never tested the strength of her defenses, so she couldn¡¯t be sure, but Max continued to wear a confident facade. It was more important to her to be with Riftan than her own safety. If he was willing to risk his life recklessly, so was she. ¡°I-I won¡¯t be a burden. So¡­¡± ¡°This journey is difficult even for experienced knights, let alone the Lady¡­¡± Hebaron meticulously studied her physique as if evaluating a prized stallion. Max frowned at his rudeness. ¡°What about m-me?¡± ¡°The journey may be too much to handle, given the Lady¡¯s stamina.¡± ¡°B-But¡­ didn¡¯t Ruth leave for the expedition?¡± Ruth was taller than her, but he was thinpared to other gentlemen. And since he used to stay up to read at night, he always looked pale and weak. At least she was more active than the wizard. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m healthier than Ruth and I have more energy. If Ruth can do it, I-I can do it too¡­ Of course, I don¡¯t have Ruth¡¯s years of experience. But for a-anyone¡­ there¡¯s always a first time for everything, right?¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s very persuasive.¡± Max didn¡¯t know if Hebaron was smiling or frowning. She realized that he was in conflict based on his ambiguous expression. He stroked his chin for a moment as he finally raised his hands like he was defeated. ¡°Fine. If we can¡¯t get a wizard in two days, I¡¯ll try to persuade themander.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you!¡± Max smiled brightly, but Hebaron simply shook his head with a faint smile. ¡°Don¡¯t say thank you just yet. The Commander may refuse ¡®til the end.¡± ¡°T-that could happen¡­¡± Max¡¯s momentary glee faded when she remembered Riftan¡¯s terrifying expression. Even Hebaron wasn¡¯t entirely sure about how he could deal with him, based on his darkened features. After a long, drawn-out silence, Max grew more anxious about his expression. She wondered if she was causing him too much pressure. ¡°Would it¡­ Would it be helpful if I-I went with all of you?¡± Hebaron looked around, as if he didn¡¯t know how to answer her, then he finally groaned and confessed. ¡°Of course, it would be helpful. We even thought about dragging that old wizard with us.¡± ¡°Me-Medrick is not well enough¡­ he¡¯s not in a condition to travel.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± He gave out a long sigh. ¡°It would be great if the Lady could join us, but expeditions are really difficult. Please don¡¯t think lightly about it and carefully consider¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking it l-lightly. I¡¯m determined. If I stay in the castle¡­ I¡¯ll just w-worry. I would rather be t-tired. And¡­¡± Max kept rambling on with a smile, but quickly caught herself, thinking that it was strange for her to try to convince him that she could bear hardships too. Hebaron studied her carefully with his green eyes, as if trying to uncover any hidden intentions. When he found none, he gave her a broad smile. ¡°That is reassuring.¡±
Note ¨C Nymeria: How many times have I said Hebaron for the win now? Chapter 181 Chapter 181 As soon as Max finished her talk with Hebaron, she immediately headed for the infirmary. Medrick wasying out numerous sacks of medicinal herbs on the floor, preparing medicine for the knights who were leaving for the expedition. She rolled up her sleeves and walked over to the desk to offer him help. Medrick was filling a small bag with herbs when he looked at her, concerned. ¡°Madam, yourplexion doesn¡¯t look well. Please rest in your room for today. I can prepare the medicines by myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t sleep much. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Is it due to the news the messenger delivered yesterday?¡± He sighed as he pulled a jar of ster from the shelves. ¡°I¡¯m really worried too. The monsters only seem to mysteriously increase over the years.¡± ¡°Medrick¡­ have you¡­ ever been on an e-expedition before?¡± ¡°I often participated in small-scale subjugation campaigns, but since I am a low-ranking wizard with no other abilities other than healing magic, I am generally a part of the rear support. When I was young, I participated in some long-term expeditions.¡± He exined with a dark expression while mixing the thick ointment with a spat. ¡°It seems like they couldn¡¯t find a wizard who could join the expedition. If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Oh, n-no! I was asking because I¡¯m thinking of going. I don¡¯t mean to send you, Medrick¡­ d-don¡¯t worry.¡± Medrick¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Madam will? Did the Lord give his permission?¡± Max¡¯s expression instantly turned grim at his question. It seems that Riftan¡¯s personality was so domineering, that even someone who had resided here for less than a month knew exactly how he would react to her ns. Max shook her head in defeat. ¡°I have b-been¡­trying to persuade him.¡± ¡°The Lady just started learning magic onlyst year, correct? Does thedy have any experience with expeditions?¡± ¡°N-not in expeditions¡­but I have encountered monsters several times¡­¡± She did not say that she fainted both times, and swallowed her words down. Both had certain circumstances anyway. The first was due to the stress of a possible divorce, she wasn¡¯t able to sleep and eat for several days, and the second time was because shepletely depleted her mana. But now, she was healthier and she had more control over her magic. ¡°To be honest¡­ I¡¯ve never traveled far¡­ W-what do wizards do on expeditions?¡± ¡°High-ranking wizards capable of attacking often fight alongside knights during a battle. But a healer like me would normally evacuate to safety and heal the wounded after the fight.¡± He exined, looking a bit embarrassed. ¡°A weak wizard like me who has only mastered a few universal types of magic is practically useless inbat. If I am not healing the wounded, then I am helping with food preparation and caring for the horses.¡± ¡°I s-see¡­¡± If she could convince Riftan, will she have to prepare food for the men and take care of the horses? Her face clouded at the thought, she had never cooked before. ¡°Then¡­ when monsters appear¡­ Do you hide until the battle is over? What if there is no ce to h-hide?¡± ¡°Knights are usually apanied by squires on long-term expeditions. When a monster shows up it¡¯s like this¡­ here¡­¡± Medrick pulled out a piece of parchment on the desk and drew two lines with his quill. ¡°The expedition is divided into two groups. The knights in the front fight the monsters, while the squires stand back to protect the food and the horses. The wizards can also stand back at this time. Because front-line knights are always on the lookout, they usually don¡¯t worry about being dragged into battle.¡± Somehow, Max felt subdued by Medrick¡¯s exnation. She continued to question him while preparing the essential herbs that the knights would need to take with them. He patiently and generously gave advice based on his own experience, such as how to avoid being a burden to the knights when inbat, how to avoid nasty insects while camping, and how to use the stars for navigation. Max absorbed all of his teachings and was furious with determination. She spent a long time in the infirmary and only came back for dinner after the sun had set. She wanted to talk to Riftan again, but when she thought about how stubborn he was, she became afraid to speak. It would be better to wait for Aderon¡¯s report. She tried hard to sleep that night. The next morning, she didn¡¯t see Riftan anywhere. When she asked Rudis, he apparently had slept in the knights¡¯ quarters. Max couldn¡¯t tell if he was actively avoiding her or if he was busy preparing for the expedition. She spent the day at Ruth¡¯s tower, reading about monsters, maps, and familiarizing herself with the topography of the roads they would use on the trip. When she returned to her room, she asked Rudis to prepare some sturdy boots and leather pants often worn by apprentice knights. The pants felt strange and didn¡¯t fit very well, but they were surprisinglyfortable to move around. Plus, unlike dresses, she didn¡¯t have to worry about tripping over her hem or letting the fabric drag across the floor or pay attention not to crease it when she sat down. Max quickly changed into her normal clothes and hid her pants and boots in a box, to avoid that Riftan could see them. The next day, as soon as she opened her eyes, she quickly threw down a simple tunic and pants worn by the servants and ran to the training ground. The tension around the spacious field was higher than normal as they approached the departure date. Max looked at the gentleman who was supervising the training. Realizing that it was a knight with whom she was not very familiar, she quickly turned towards the knight¡¯s quarters. Looking through the conference room window, she saw several knights gathered around the long table talking seriously, a map spread out in front of them. Max looked around and found only Hebaron and Gabel, not Riftan. The moment she entered, everyone instantly calmed down. ¡°Sir¡­ Sir Nirta, about what I asked you the other day¡­ How is it going?¡­I came because I was curious.¡± Hebaron looked at her outfit and got up from his seat. He approached slowly. ¡°Lady Calypse? What are you wearing?¡± Max blushed and rubbed her sweaty palms against her pants. ¡°I¡­ I think this is more suitable¡­ so I tried it on¡­ b-but, I guess it doesn¡¯t suit me very well¡­¡± ¡°No, no, I think it looks pretty good on you.¡± He waved his hands and Max walked into the conference room that was filled with awkward stares and tension upon her arrival. ¡°Am I¡­ interrupting an important meeting? Should Ie backter?¡± ¡°No,e in and have a seat. I was just talking about thedy¡¯s proposal with everyone.¡± Max looked around the room, the knights¡¯ faces filling with difort as Hebaron extended the invitation to join them. A gentleman immediately got up and brought her a chair. Max sat down, dwarfed by the huge knights, and looked around anxiously. Therge map detailing the western continent was spread out across therge table. It was covered in intricate lines, like a cobweb, and several wooden models were strategically ced around it. It seemed the knights were discussing the route of travel. ¡°Where¡¯s Ri-Riftan? I heard¡­ he slept herest night¡­¡± ¡°You just missed him. Themander returned to the great hall to send a message. He will be back soon.¡± Hebaron scratched the back of his neck and frowned. ¡°I brought up the subject of the Lady joining us on the expedition as soon as I got here.¡± ¡°It seems we failed to get one of Count Robern¡¯s wizards.¡± Gabel, who sat opposite her, nodded. ¡°Unfortunately. Most of them have wives and children and cannot leave.¡± ¡°I s-see¡­¡± Max tried to control the tremor in her voice. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll be y-your wizard in this e-expedition.¡± ¡°But mdy, will you really be fine with it? You¡¯ve lived your entire life at Croix Castle.¡± A dark-skinned knight sitting in the corner looked at her, his expressions filled with doubt. ¡°We all know you are a decent healer. However, there are many monsters along the way and viges are sparse, we will have to camp most of the time. Can the Lady endure such hardships?¡± ¡°Those hardships have already been e-exined to me by Sir Nirta. I have also c-camped once on the way to Anatol¡­ even if it¡¯s difficult¡­ I am determined.¡± ¡°It¡¯s much more dangerous and difficult than you think. Thinking too lightly about it¡­¡± ¡°Her majesty the Princess can do it, so there¡¯s no reason why thedy can¡¯t.¡± A young knight who was sitting with his arms crossed to his left stood up. He was a gentleman who frequented the infirmary for treatment. ¡°And we are all over the ce, so what are you worried about? If you are so worried, then we will assign some squires as guards. Whatever the case, I am willing to volunteer.¡± Max smiled at him gratefully foring to her aid. ¡°As everyone says¡­ the journey will be difficult¡­ that¡¯s why I should go. The viges along the way are sparse¡­ and there are many m-monsters¡­ to travel without a wizard on such a dangerous month-long journey¡­ it would be too dangerous.¡± The knights exchanged nces, as ifmunicating just by looking at each other. Max smiled when she realized that almost everyone was on board, when a cold, dark voice echoed behind her. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Max turned to look at the entrance with a stern expression. Riftan stood by the door, his expression filled with murderous rage. He prowled to the head of the table and bared his teeth menacingly. ¡°Does anyone care to exin why my wife is here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who asked the knights. If you can¡¯t get an assistant¡­ then I-I¡­¡± ¡°You shut your mouth.¡± Max immediately mped her mouth shut at his icy gaze. Hebaron stepped forward, as if shielding her from his reverberating rage. ¡°Your wife came here for your sake. You shouldn¡¯t look at her with such threatening eyes.¡± ¡°I have already made myself clear on this matter, I said no. But do you think it¡¯s proper that she disobeyed me and went to conspire with my men behind my back?¡± Hebaron frowned. ¡°Why are you using her so harshly? Because the Commander is as stubborn as a mule, the Lady had no choice but to turn to us! Don¡¯t act like we plotted something that utterly doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± ¡°Whatever the reason, it is uneptable for my wife to plot behind my back!¡± The two men red at each other with murderous intent, neither willing to back down. Feeling struck by the violent atmosphere, Max was on the brink of copse if not for Gabel, who threw himself between the two angry wild dogs. ¡°Please, calm down! I understand your concerns regarding the Lady. Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯ve all been quiet until now? But as you know we need a wizard and she is an excellent healer. Please consider it.¡± Riftan gnashed his teeth. ¡°Are you in your right mind?! My wife is the daughter of a Duke, who grew up spoiled and pampered in a castle all her life. She can¡¯t handle the roughness of an expedition!¡± Max sprung up from her seat, her expression indignant. ¡°I c-can do it too! Please give me another chance. I am a wizard¡­ you should not walk away just like this!¡±
Note ¨C LF: HEBARON FOR THE WIN! Anyone notice how Max is stuttering super less now? I¡¯m proud of our baby Maxi ?? Nymeria: Don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m super pissed off. Ughh, I wanna punch someone Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Riftan narrowed his eyes, noticing her outfit as his eyes trailed her from head to toes. Startled by his gaze, Max quickly grabbed her loose clothing and lowered her eyes uneasily. Riftan¡¯s fierce expression became more and more distorted with irritation and fury. ¡°What the hell are you wearing? Damn it! You¡¯ve got this all nned out!¡± He rubbed his head roughly as if trying to ease a terrible headache. ¡°Why the hell are you so stubborn? I¡¯ve made it clear that you shouldn¡¯t interfere!¡± ¡°Riftan is the one who¡¯s s-stubborn! You keep saying no with no clear reason¡­give it a chance please. If I-I will suffer¡­ a little to get everyone arrive safely¡­ isn¡¯t it worth the risk?¡± ¡°The Lady is right.¡± Hebaron intervened again in a slightly calmer tone. ¡°We don¡¯t know what dangers to expect on this expedition and we can¡¯t waste any more time looking for a wizard. Themander may agree to take the risk himself, but you cannot risk the lives of your subordinates. It¡¯s a dilemma.¡± ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s fine for my wife to take that risk?¡± ¡°We can keep her safe!¡± ¡°B*llshit! Not even one of you¡­!¡± Riftan, screaming blind with anger, suddenly fell silent. His face was fiercely contorted with anguish. He couldn¡¯t risk the lives of his men simply for the sake of his own matter. The gentlemen in the room noted this dilemma and began to chirp to ease him. ¡°We are not asking you to expose thedy to the battlefield. Once we get to Livadon, we can find a high priest from a temple in the capital to take her ce. We can leave her in the temple for a while and move to the Louiebell by ourselves.¡± ¡°Right. Once we get to the port across the border, we will be traveling by boat, which will be significantly safer.¡± ¡°The matter is the travel of getting to the port! The route to Livadon is dotted with countless monster habitats scattered throughout the mountains and forests. If we take a noble woman who cannot even defend herself, she will only drag us down.¡± Riftan responded fiercely. ¡°That¡¯s not true! I can also cast d-defensive magic¡­!¡± ¡°What and how much can you do with the little magic that you have learned in just a few months?!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t believe her, then let her prove it.¡± They all turned their attention to the dark-skinned knight who was still standing against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. He shrugged like it was no big deal and continued. ¡°What I mean is, let¡¯s test the Lady¡¯s defenses. If she¡¯s strong enough to deflect our attacks, then she¡¯d be fine against the attacks of most monsters.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a great idea.¡± Gabel quickly supported. ¡°I agree with Eden. If thedy¡¯s defenses are not up to scratch, then we will drop this. Thedy should give up efforts as well.¡± Max¡¯s shoulders sank. She imed it so confidently but in truth, she wasn¡¯t sure her barriers were strong enough to withstand an attack from a Remdragon knight. She internally squirmed as the knights reached a unanimous decision. ¡°However, if thedy is sessful, then themander shall hold no further objections. It would be foolish to leave a wizard who knows how to heal and have basic defensive skills, forming an expeditionposed of only knights to head for Livadon. Please do not impose such risks on your subordinates.¡± Gabel looked at Riftan with unwavering resolve. Riftan alternately red at Max and the knights with a sharp gaze, finding no more justification to object and twisted his lips. He remained silent for what seemed like an eternity, before finally forcing himself to speak again. ¡°¡­Fine, we¡¯ll test your skills. Come outside.¡± He turned around and walked out the door. Hebaron patted Max¡¯s tense, frozen shoulders. ¡°If the Lady seeds, themander will no longer be able to object. Please tten his nose1.¡± She had to be sessful. But what if she made a huge deal out of this only to fail in vain like thest time? Max swallowed the dry lump stuck in her throat. No, my barriers¡­ don¡¯t break that easily. The other day, Medrick swung a pickaxe he used to plow as a test, and it deflected without a hitch. However, a skinny old man¡¯s pickaxe and a trained knight¡¯s strike are miles different. She followed the knights into the field and peaked at their physique. They all had strong, bulging forearms and muscr legs like a stallion¡¯s. Riftan led them to an empty space behind the training ground and turned to her after finding a decent area. ¡°Now, cast your shield.¡± The knights rushed forward when they saw Riftan grasping the handle of his sword that was secured to his hip. ¡°Wait, wait a second! No way! Rumor has it that only a few wizards in the world are capable of blocking themander¡¯s attack!¡± ¡°Wow! That¡¯s really too much! Even Ruth can¡¯t deflect themander¡¯s attack!¡± ¡°¡­don¡¯t even try to deviate. Of course, I¡¯m going to hold back and control my attack.¡± All the knights, even Max, looked at him in disbelief and doubt was clearly evident in each and every one of their eyes. Everyone knew, unless you were an idiot, Riftan had every intention of breaking her defenses, no matter how strong she did it now. Hebaron booed loudly. ¡°That is uneptable. If we don¡¯t test it with the attack of a knight other than themander, I won¡¯t ept the results!¡± ¡°I object to that! It¡¯s obvious that any of you will try and cut the corners of your attack.¡± ¡°So, what if we go easy on our attack? How many wizards in this world can block a full-out attack from a Remdragon Knight? Being able to block a troll¡¯s attack level is enough!¡± ¡°Now, now, calm down both of you.¡± Once again, Gabel stepped between the two angry hounds eager to bite each other¡¯s heads. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste our energy on these useless arguments. How about this; we let thedy choose a knight to test her barrier. You can measure the strength of the knight with your eyes.¡± Riftan turned to Max, but she quickly avoided his expectant gaze. No way would she choose him. They would think of her like crazy if she did. Max looked at the assembled knights one by one and tried her best not to look in the direction of Riftan, whose eyes were punching a hole in her and practically yelling at her to choose him. Hebaron was bigger and slightly taller than Riftan. As for the other knights, all of them have massive shoulders and bulging forearms. She narrowed her eyes as she examined them more closely, then turned to Gabel, whose physique was the slimmest among the knights. ¡°I-I¡­ just have to name the person, right? ¡° ¡°Yes, you can choose anyone as your opponent.¡± ¡°Then¡­ I would like to choose¡­ Sir Laxion¡­ if you will be my opponent, please.¡± The corner of Gabel¡¯s soft smile twitched slightly. ¡°¡­May I ask why thedy chose me?¡± ¡°Because you are the m-most¡­reliable.¡± Max could feel Riftan¡¯s icy gaze pricking her cheek, but she continued to look ignorant. Gabel looked at her with knowing eyes and then stepped forward with a deep sigh. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll test it out.¡± He unsheathed his longsword tied at his waist and slipped into stance. Under an unusual pressure, Max caught the reality of the situation and scurried to lift her mana. She focused on pouring out all her concentration to maximize her mana. As she practiced, she increased the flow and speed of her mana and the ground below her trembled weakly. Soon, thend around her began to rise into the air. Max reinforced the barrier with the magical form Ruth taught her, making the walls made with earth thicker and harder. ¡°It¡¯s r-ready!¡± ¡°Then here I go!¡± Max spinned her mana to full speed and pushed her mana to its maximum capability. Her heart was pounding nervously and cold sweat trickled down her back when she heard Gabel kick the ground and run toward her, it was then followed by a heavy blow. The defensive wall of the barrier shook violently. She looked at the barrier with a nervous expression stered on her face. The attack was followed with two more thumps but the wall didn¡¯t break and didn¡¯t budge at all. Max couldn¡¯t believe her eyes; her barrier was still firm in front of her. She turned her head to Riftan, and gave a triumphant expression. Contrary to her expression, he just stood there, tall andmanding, and looked at her with aplex expression that she couldn¡¯t define in words. Max smiled nervously at the darkness that gripped his features. Despite the stifling atmosphere surrounding Riftan, Hebaron approached him andughed. ¡°Is that enough to convince the Commander?¡± Riftan simply turned. ¡°¡­do what you want.¡± Then, he walked away in anger. Hebaron simply shrugged at Riftan¡¯s bitter attitude. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to you. He¡¯s a reasonable person after all, he wille around soon.¡± Hopefully Hebaron was right, Max prayed as she watched Riftan retreat back with desperate eyes. Her heart felt btedly heavy from disobeying her husband so tantly, but she quickly pulled away from those faint-hearted thoughts. He gave his permission. She could take any amount of coldness and anger from him, as long as she could go with him. 1 ¨C It means Riftan¡¯s holding up his nose too high. Basically, Hebaron¡¯s saying Max should crush Riftan¡¯s pride lol. *** They embarked on preparing to leave for the expedition. Max also quickly ran back to her room to pack only what was necessary. Rudis was helping her pack while acting like a mother full of worries, she even had to fight with her, who tried to stuff fifteen outfits into her leather bag. And Rudis was not alone. Rodrigo and all the other servants brought her all kinds of things, asking her if she would like this or that. Even the seamstress who made all of her dresses came with a hat and veil, saying it was to protect her face from sunburn, but Max only picked up a few essentials. She managed to fill her bag with a pair of sturdy pants, three changes of underwear, a pair of socks, and two robes tunics that apprentices usually wore. Max also brought a bag of medicinal herbs, some of Ruth¡¯s medical tools, and three manastones. Even though she knew it wasn¡¯t a pleasure road trip, she couldn¡¯t leave behind a small ivory hair brush and half a bar of soap wrapped in a pouch, hanging them on her belt. She wanted to bring books on herbal medicine or magic, but it would burden her to bring such expensive items, so she only packed a few parchment with Ruth¡¯s notes. ¡°Should thedy leave for such a dangerous journey?¡± Rudis, who was working to fix the straps on her bag, spoke with a tremor in her voice. Max was delighted by her concern; her usual calm and firm maid, who never showed a hint of her own personal emotions, finally expressed herself for the first time. ¡°D-Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m going with the most powerful knights in the West. Nothing bad will happen.¡± Rudis hesitated then grabbed her hand. ¡°Please¡­ take good care of yourself.¡± Max looked deeply into her dark brown eyes and nodded vigorously. Rudis smiled sadly. She took her hand firmly again, then stepped back. Max walked over to the mournfully meowing cats, hugged and kissed them before finally leaving the room.
Note ¨C LF: AAAAAH MAXI IM SO PROUD OF YOU <3 Nymeria: Again, don¡¯t mind me, just wiping my proud tears in a corner. Also, I love to see Hebaron getting all the love he deserves from you guys. He truly is the best character! T^T Chapter 183 Chapter 183 The maid waiting by the door took the bag from her hand, volunteering to carry it. Max sat on the saddle strapped to Rem after the train of servants escorted her outside with a tearful farewell. All the knights were lined up in the training grounds, ready to depart. It didn¡¯t seem like it only took two days of preparation as they appeared well-prepared for the expedition. ¡°Have all your necessities been packed?¡± As she approached the ranks of the knights, Gabel, who was inspecting the battle lines, spoke to her. Max nodded. He examined the size of the bag she had tied to Rem¡¯s chair, then gestured for something behind her. ¡°Hey, Lady Calypse is here.¡± At his urge, two boys emerged from the squires standing behind the ranks. Max¡¯s eyes widened when she saw Yulysion and Garrow running towards her, dragging a giant stallion. ¡°We were told that the Lady wasing too. We volunteered to be your escorts throughout the journey.¡± Yulysion exined after running in a fuss. ¡°But¡­ Yulysion and Garrow are still apprentices. Is it a-alright for them to participate in this expedition?¡± ¡°Squires are originally selected from their apprenticeships ahead of their knighting ceremony. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve gained a lot of experience over the past months.¡± Garrow proudly pumped his chest confidently and Yulysion nodded vigorously at his side. ¡°I will never put mdy¡¯s life at risk, just like thest time. We¡¯ll keep you safe no matter what happens, you have nothing to worry about!¡± Max smiled at the two boys who had grown even more dignified during the times they were apart. ¡°T-thank you. I¡¯ll put my faith in you.¡± ¡°Rovar and Livakion are the best among the squires. Please have the two of them by your side wherever you go. Also, you must never leave the ranks at will. If there is any problem, please inform me or another knight.¡± Gabel instructed her with a solemn face and Max nodded firmly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. By the way¡­ where is Ri-Riftan?¡± ¡°The Commander is over there.¡± Max looked at where Gabel was pointing and saw Rodrigo, two older knights with gray hair, and her husband. They were discussing it with their other younger knights. ¡°Themander is delegating the supervisory of the castle. The maintenance of the great hall will be the responsibility of Rodrigo, while Sir Obaron and Sir Sebrick will oversee the training and military facilities.¡± Riftan handed a ring of keys to Rodrigo and the older knights, then walked towards the front of the line. Max intently followed him with her eyes as he sat on top of Talon. Riftan¡¯s gaze suddenly flew to her. Max tensed, fearing that he would suddenly change his mind and order her to leave this expedition, but Riftan simply led Talon towards the gates without saying a word. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± As his loudmanding voice resounded, the guards stationed on top of the walls blew powerfully into their horns, signalling for the knights to maintain their line and march across the castle moat in an organized manner. Max grasped the reins and drove Rem along the line. As Calyspe Castle drew further and further away from her, a sense of fear and strange excitement swelled within her. She wondered about what awaited them in the near future. Garrow, who was riding his horse beside her, seemed to have noticed her anxiety and opened his mouth, speaking calmly. ¡°There is nothing to worry about. We spent the entire spring scouring the mountains around Anatol wiping off monsters, there won¡¯t be any drawing of arms in the uing time.¡± Max felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment seeing how a much younger boy acted more assertive than her. Not only Garrow, but all the other young knights all around his age wore the same calm expression. As they crossed the town square of Anatol on their horses, people flocked to the side of the road and watched them march into battle in amazement. Max felt like an innocent puppy lost in a pack of wolves. ¡°Ma¡¯am, please move to the center of the ranks once we pass through the gates.¡± Gabel yelled over his shoulders and Max obediently followed his instructions. She directed Rem to the center of the line as soon as they were out of the guarded territories. Riftan nced at her from the front of the lines, then began to drive his horse at a faster speed. The knights followed his lead, speeding straight through the valleys. Max drove Rem whilst trying her best to match their pace, careful not to be run over by the other horses. Riding through the uneven dirt road was more difficult than she imagined. If she hadn¡¯t practiced in her spare time, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep up. As she wondered how many hours more they had to ride like that while out of breath and sweating, Yulysion beamed at her encouragingly. ¡°We will be crossing through two mountains today. Once we leave Anatol, the road will be easier to travel, so please hang in there.¡± Max nodded, wondering how the young man could ride at this speed and not bite his tongue in the process. Her thighs were already numb and her hips were tingling, but she couldn¡¯t mutter a word ofint after insisting so stubbornly that she had to go with them. Max struggled as she rode to keep up with the knights. Fortunately, as the road got steeper, they were forced to decrease the speed of movement. She managed to regain herposure and inspected her surroundings. Lush green trees nked them on either side of the narrow path of the mountain valleys. Sharp, jagged rocks carved out by nature tilted at the foot of the mountain, and she could hear the faint rush of water from a nearby stream. Since they had been traveling for a while, they finally decided to take a break there. Max had a hard time dismounting from her horse as her legs jittered, then led Rem toward the water. The knights ate bread and dried beef while the horses drank water thirstily, like they would be emptying the stream. She also drank water from her canteen, moistening her dried lips, and ate a piece of dried meat that was as tough as a piece of wood. They rested for about twenty minutes before climbing back on top of their horses, immediately going back to the road. In less than half a day, Max waspletely defeated. Her saddle-mounted butt was like it was on fire. And her lungs felt like they were being stabbed with a de. Her braided hair kept loosening up and stuck to her face, which also annoyed her. Compared to her, the knights around her looked morefortable despite their heavy iron armors. Max clenched her thighs against the saddle to correct her copsing posture. The infernal march only ended when they reached the end of the narrow and remote path, finding a somewhat gentle ce to set camp. ¡°We will camp here today.¡± As Riftan¡¯s voice resounded heavily, Garrow climbed off his horse and muttered quietly. ¡°Even after a full day¡¯s travel, we¡¯re still in Anatol territory¡­¡± Max was so relieved that she could finally rest from traveling on horseback that she didn¡¯t mind spending a night in the mountains. She almost rolled off the saddle as she dismounted. If it weren¡¯t for Yulysion who was quick to assist her, she would have found her face against the damp ground. ¡°You must be tired. Please sit here and rest. I¡¯ll pitch the tent up right away.¡± Yulysion grabbed her by the shoulders and gently held her to sit on a t rock. She barely managed to mutter a thank you at her level of exhaustion. The two boys quickly removed the saddles off their horses and unpacked, without showing any signs of exhaustion. The other knights were also busy making a pit for bonfires, lighting them, and providing food and water to the horses. Max knew she had to help but she really couldn¡¯t lift a hand at the moment. She pressed her reddened palms against the cold rock¡¯s surface, cooling them from the strain of gripping the reins too long. ¡°I¡¯ve set up a bed. Mdy, it¡¯s pretty shabby, but you maye in and rest¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her.¡± Max shuddered at the low voice that interrupted. She looked up to see Riftan looking at her, still with the same expressionless face. ¡°Go and tend to your horses.¡± At hismand, Garrow and Yulysion immediately ran towards the steeds. She was worried that he would scold her for being in such a disorderly state and unable to contribute, but Riftan merely helped her up and guided her towards the tent pitched under a tree without any reprimand. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you a meal when it¡¯s ready, so lie down in the meantime.¡± ¡°I¡¯m f-fine. I too should help¡­¡± Max immediately pressed her lips shut when Riftan shot her a terrifying look. He lowered the tent¡¯s awning and walked away. Truthfully, she had no energy to even lift a finger, so she just slid helplessly on top of the thick nkets, worrying about what awaited her the following day. She knew her butt and thighs would be bruised ck and blue in the morning, so she wondered how she was going to survive throughout the expedition. She quickly shook her head and dismissed those defeatist thoughts. No. Just one more day and then we¡¯ll be out of the Anatol mountains. ording to the map, there would be plenty of t ins on their way to Livadon once they get past Anatol. Also, her body will slowly adjust to riding, especially when the trails would be less cumbersome. She shouldn¡¯t give up so easily. While trying to motivate herself, Riftan returned to the tent. ¡°It would be better for you to get a massage before having a meal. Take off your pants.¡± He bent over to enter the tent and sat on a corner, pulling a small bottle of oil from a bag. Max looked at him, not certain of what she had just heard. ¡°Just now¡­ what did you say¡­?¡± ¡°Take off your boots and pants. You won¡¯t be able to ride a horse again tomorrow unless this medicine is applied.¡± Riftan answered nonchntly and took off his gauntlet, gaiters, and vambraces like they were cumbersome, setting them down on the corner. In the meanwhile, Max continued to stare at him nkly. He frowned when he saw her idle and ced his hands on her boots to remove it. She protested and crouched to the farthest corner of the tent in panic. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m f-fine! There¡¯s no need!¡± ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to pass out any second, what do you mean you¡¯re fine?¡± Riftan approached and caught Max, who was trying with all her might to escape, cing her back in ce. Her throbbing muscled screamed as he grasped her thigh. When she could no longer hold it back and whimpered in pain, Riftan frowned and began undoing her bootces which were very tight around her calves, making Max¡¯s face dyed bright red. ¡°I-I got this. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll do it myself! G-give me the oil, I can do it¡­ g-go outside for a moment.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have the strength to lift a finger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s n-not true. I c-can d-do it myself so¡­¡± ¡°At least listen to your husband, even if it sounds ridiculous.¡± She stopped protesting, realizing that his patience was reaching its edge again. Riftan took off her boots and threw them off to a corner, then ced his hands on the strings of her trousers. Max nced at the entrance of the tent and felt like crying. ¡°W-what if someone walks in¡­¡± ¡°I told them not toe near the tent so don¡¯t worry.¡± He exhaled bluntly and mercilessly pulled off her sweaty pants. The cool air that touched her bare skin made her face flush red as a beet.
Note ¨C LF: I LITERALLY HAD TO PAUSE TRANSLATING WHEN HE SAID TO TAKE THE PANTS OFF. Mygod, Riftan. Keep it in your pants, please. A little modesty? At this rate, your wife won¡¯t be able to ride a horse the next day after all Nymeria: I have a good feeling about this oil treatment tho! I think he¡¯s gonna keep it in his pants this time lmaoo he seems still very angry and worried about her being in the expedition Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Riftan made her lie face down against the nkets and drew a clean cloth and a canteen of water from his bag with a grim expression. Max looked down in embarrassment as he drenched the cloth and began to wipe the sweat off her legs. The cold towel gently cooled her burning skin. He meticulously cleaned her thighs, calves, and even her feet. Then, he picked up the small bottle of oil and pulled the cork out with his teeth. As the slippery liquid slid down her skin, Max¡¯s toes curled. Riftan pressed the center of her feet¡¯s soles with his thumb then slowly moved his hands up to massage her taut calves. Max groaned in pain. ¡°I-it hurts¡­¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t press your muscles, you won¡¯t be able to move when morninges.¡± He relentlessly loosened her tight muscles. All Max could do was stifle her groan as she buried her face in the thick nket. The pain was so immense that she couldn¡¯t even afford to be ashamed of her current state. Riftan massaged her calves sufficiently regardless of her pain and applied peppermint-scented oil on her thighs. Max tried to pull away when his rough palms swept down the scorching skin near her private area. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m really fine now. Riftan, you must be exhausted too¡­¡± Before she could finish, he sighed deeply and pulled her underwear down to her knees. ¡°Ri-Riftan!!¡± ¡°Stay still. We have to apply this medicine or else it will be difficult for you to ride on horseback tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll a-apply it! I can do it so¡­!¡± ¡°What are you so ashamed of?¡± He huffed and shifted his weight lightly on her thighs to prevent her from wriggling. ¡°Stop exhausting yourself and lie down still. I¡¯m not going to do anything strange.¡± Riftan was determined to finish his task. He poured a generous amount of oil onto his palms and began massaging her bare bottom in a circr motion. Max¡¯s ears burned as she clutched the covers tightly. It was so embarrassing to be touched in a clear state of mind, especially right after yelling to everyone that she would be their healer during the expedition. Yet there she was now, the one receiving treatment. It was pathetic. Still Riftan, oblivious to her inner dilemma, silently applied the peppermint oil to her bruised flesh, and ced her underwear back on when her tight muscles were loosened enough. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to check if the meal is ready. I¡¯ll bring it to you, so lie down and rest.¡± He murmured in a strained voice as he rubbed the back of his neck. His face was a little red, probably due to being crammed into the little tent. Max simply nodded and pulled up her trousers. He let out a heavy breath and walked out of the tent with a slight limp from bending his knees too long, while she dropped onto the covers feeling like a pile of soggy noodles,pletely exhausted. Max felt shame and pain colliding during Riftan¡¯s massage, but the muscle pain had significantly subsided. She rubbed the parts of her body that he had touched, then crossed her arms and closed her eyes for a moment. Riftan did not return until the orange sunset turned into a blue night. ¡°I¡¯ve brought smoked ham from the campfire. Here¡¯s some bread to go with it.¡± He ced the wooden tray next to her: there was a thick slice of sizzling oil-zed ham, three fist-sized loaves of bread, a block of cheese, and a canteen of wine. Riftan pulled out a dagger and began cutting the food into smaller pieces for Max, who quickly scooped up the food and popped it into her mouth. The food was definitely much humblerpared to the food in the castle, but she was so hungry that it tasted more delicious than anything else. ¡°Should I bring you more?¡± Riftan asked bluntly upon seeing her shove food down hungrily. Max shook her head, but she almost emptied the tray. Her body felt like a thousand pounds as her belly began to swell and she felt drowsy. Max immediately fell asleep in the blink of an eye,pletely forgetting the fact that they were camping in the middle of Anatol mountains that were full of monsters. The next day, the knights began packing their belongings in preparation for their departure even before the sun had risen. Max also got ready in a hurry and climbed into her saddle. There was no time to wash her face, let alone brush her hair. Fortunately, her butt didn¡¯t hurt as much as she feared it would, courtesy to Riftan¡¯s massage. However, keeping up with the knights was still too overwhelming. Yulysion helped her navigate the dark mountain path and the lurking knights were constantly on high alert, moving only faster, not slowing down even for a moment. When they reached the foot of the mountain, they slowed down and Max could hardly ask. ¡°Why do they look so t-tense¡­ I¡­ haven¡¯t seen any monsters at all.¡± Garrow, who was traveling beside her, shook his head. ¡°The monsters that inhabit Anatol possess a certain level of intelligence. Whenrge armies pass by, they are intelligent enough to stay hidden in order to survive. They tend to watch from a distance. Last night, I heard from some of the knights that a few forest goblins tried to steal our food supply¡±. ¡°Lst night?¡± Yulysion quickly intervened when he saw her face turn a deep blue hue. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The knights on duty immediately noticed and took care of them.¡± ¡°Was anyone h-hurt?¡± ¡°Of course not! Forest goblins can¡¯t even hope to scratch a Remdragon knight!¡± Yulysion lifted his chin indignantly, as if her words were insulting. Still, Max worried and inspected the knights in the front lines. Everyone calmly rode their horses without a sign of exhaustion. She looked ahead and tried to find Riftan, buried among the big bulky knights, but she quickly gave up and concentrated on driving her horse across the bumpy mountain road. They finally made it out of the Anatol Mountain ranges after the sun rose high in the sky. They took a short break near a stream that flowed through the meadow. The attending gentlemen tended to the horses, while others began to distribute the food for ate breakfast. Max quickly washed her face as Rem took a drink by the stream. She wet her neck and pulled out herb to tame her wild hair. She almost gave up on detangling her hair, but once she was done, she put it in a braid and walked back to the field. Yulysion handed her an apple and a piece of bread. ¡°You must be hungry? Please eat this for now. We will have a more decent meal prepared in the evening. We cannot afford to waste time cooking food over fire during the day as we need to travel as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°No¡­ not at all¡­ this is good enough.¡± She quickly epted the food and suddenly Yulysion concentrated on her outstretched palms. ¡°Your hands are red! Did you hurt yourself?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of¡­ the reins.¡± She smiled like it was nothing, not realizing how seriously Yulysion was studying the sharp red burns on her palms. ¡°It looks painful, shouldn¡¯t you get treatment?¡± ¡°No¡­ this is nothing¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem so! It¡¯s so swollen¡­¡± Garrow, who was feeding the horses, hurriedly ran towards them as he heard the worried voice of his friend. He thrusted his head between the two of them and looked at her palms as well with a frown. ¡°Yulysion is right. It will only get worse and you¡¯ll suffer the whole journey. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to cast healing magic on it?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t need to apply magic to my own body¡­ It¡¯s cparable to drinking your own blood when you¡¯re thirsty. Unless it¡¯s fatal, it¡¯s better to let it heal naturally¡­ and¡­ I want to save as much mana as possible.¡± ¡°But still, you¡¯re hurting¡­¡± Max sighed at their fuss and sat down on the capeid down on the grass. ¡°Really, I¡¯m f-fine¡­ Even if I cast a healing spell¡­ my hands will turn out like this as long as I ride a horse. I can¡¯t heal myself every time. So even if it¡¯s difficult, it¡¯s better to let the body adjust¡­¡± She confidently showed them the hands. ¡°If this continues, calluses will inevitably d-develop in a few days. When my palms be rough¡­ it won¡¯t hurt anymore no matter how far I ride on a h-horseback.¡± Yulysion had aplicated expression as he looked at her hand, thinking of a solution. Then, he hurriedly went to his bags tied around his saddle and searched through them. ¡°For now, please use these.¡± Max looked at the leather gloves he held out in front of her. ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­ you didn¡¯t bring them for yourself, Yu-Yulysion?¡± ¡°I brought it just in case. I don¡¯t need it so please use it without worrying about me.¡± Max was hesitant but epted the gloves. To be honest, her palms were sore. She reached into the soft, tan gloves, but on her diminutive figure, therge gloves just fell off, leaving enough room for another hand. ¡°Yulysion¡­ your hands are bigger than they appear¡­¡± Maxmented as she noticed how long his fingers werepared to hers. She was amazed at the sight. Despite the fact that the young apprentice had a delicate face and a slender body, he was still a man. Yulysion blushed and scratched the part behind his head in embarrassment then he pulled a leather string out of his bag. ¡°I¡¯ll secure it to your wrists. It¡¯ll be a huge problem if ites off while you¡¯re riding on horseback.¡± Max wordlessly raised her hands and allowed Yulysion awkwardly tie a piece of rope around her wrists. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too tight?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s perfect¡±. She waved her hands a few times to prove it and smiled satisfactorily ¡°Th-Thank you. I¡¯ll use it¡­well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Max finished her food with her gloved hands. She looked at Riftan, who was reading a map and discussing routes with the other knights at a distance. After he finished issuing orders, he refolded the map and tucked it in his bag. She sat there, waiting for him toe over and talk to her; however, he only frowned slightly and turned his attention to saddling Talon for departure. Max¡¯s eyes casted downwards at his disgruntled attitude. After how he cared for her yesterday, she thought things between them would go back to normal. But was he still mad at her for disobeying him and clinging tightly to the expedition? Max contemted breaking through the wall first and talking to him, but before she could finish thinking, Riftan had already mounted his horse and shouted coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t sit idle. We have to start moving now. From here on we enter the territories of the half dragons. Never let your guard down, even for a second!¡± The knights mounted their horses and formed up, so Max quickly jumped on Rem as well. Riftan, who was in the lead, turned to see how she was doing, then led his horse across the in at the speed of light. They traveled along the stream as theybed the lush green field like a wind. Max couldn¡¯t help but smile when she felt the cool, refreshing breeze pleasantly caress her face. She knew this was not the time to ride enjoyably, but that was her first time running her horse so freely across an open in. Her heart was so overwhelmed beyondparison to the horrible mountain road from before. She looked around with dazzling eyes. The sky was clear and cloudless and the deep blue stream flowing through the wild fields sparkled like crystals. Under the nourishing early summer sun, the wildflowers bloomed vibrantly, disying their vitality. Thendscape around her was so peaceful that she couldn¡¯t believe an army of vicious monsters were currently in the move.
Note ¨C LF: Okay, I must admit I judged Riftan too quickly lol. This is a nice chapter. Riftan disys genuine care and the young knights treat her so adorably too <3 Nymeria: Could be some mistakes in these chapters guys, I¡¯m half asleep, sorry lmao Chapter 185 Chapter 185 ¡°It will be a good idea to be prepared tounch a defensive magic barrier any moment.¡± Max was in the midst of cherishing her sense of liberation when Gabel, who was riding his horse in front of her, suddenly eximed at her. Max looked at him with a puzzled expression. Not a single wild animal was around, let alone monsters. She looked around carefully, terrified that some may be lurking in the tall grass watching them, but Gabel pointed skyward. Max inadvertently followed the direction he was pointing to and almost screamed in shock. Around six giant bird-like creatures with strange shapes hovered and chased over them. ¡°Those are harpies. It doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯re going to swoop down right away, but it¡¯s best to prepare in case of an attack.¡± Max narrowed her eyes as she continued to watch them carefully. Harpies were monsters that had the body of a great eagle and the face of a human woman. She couldn¡¯t see too clearly from the distance, but she could tell that where an eagle¡¯s head should be, it was reced by that of a pale-faced woman. A shiver ran down her spine and she clutched the reins tighter. Yulysion approached her and convinced her in a gentle tone. ¡°Mdy, don¡¯t worry about them and just focus ahead. We¡¯re heading down the slope soon. The road will be rocky, so you must be careful.¡± She quickly returned her attention to the road and, as Yulysion said, the jagged shape of cliffs and rocks emerged, stacked on top of one another, creating a steep incline and rugged terrain. They drove along the cliffs and stopped before the steep slope. Just below the slop lies a deep valley of rocks. The knights stopped, momentarily surveying the area below the slopes. They had to descend down the slope and at the same time keep a wary eye on the harpies in case they triggered rocks to fall off the cliffs. ¡°Indeed, those pesky creatures should be rid of.¡± Hebaron screamed angrily as he grabbed the hilt of his huge ymore strapped to his back, but Riftan raised his hand to restrain him. ¡°Now is not the time to worry about them.¡± His cold eyes remained fixed at the bottom of the cliffs. When the knights near Riftan followed his gaze, they clicked their tongues and cursed roughly. Max couldn¡¯t see what themotion was about from behind the troops. She poked her head out, trying to figure out what was going on, when Riftan started yelling orders. ¡°There are five half-dragons below. The second row¡­ no, second and third row, prepare for battle. The rest shall wait here and stand guard from above, watch the harpies.¡± The knights drew their swords all at once, while Max watched in awe as around twenty knights charged downwards like a raging wind. They rode skillfully down the steep road where rocks were piled unevenly in varying formations. The knights who stayed behind in the cliffs split in two groups, one had to watch over the harpies while the other drew their bows to cover the knights battling against the half-dragons. Max felt like half her soul was drifting away at the sudden rigid situation. ¡°W-what should I do¡­¡± ¡°The Lady just needs to sit calmly and wait for the fight to pass. Just in case, be ready to cast a barrier.¡± Gabel responded quickly and drew his sword. At that moment, the group of harpies grew into a flock of twenty, circling their heads in a dizzying manner and cried out a high-pitched scream in unison. Max covered her ears and began to form the magic form ording to Gabel¡¯s instructions. At that moment, a loud roar echoed around from behind. Max looked downwards. At the bottom of the cliff there were massive monsters and the knights engaged inbat. Her entire body seemed to freeze solidly at the daunting sight. The monsters were approximately 20 kvet (6 m) in size, and their entire bodies were covered in sharp, rough scales seemingly chiseled roughly. Long, sharp horns bulged from their lizard-like heads, and pointed teeth protruded from their vicious mouths. That¡¯s a¡­ half dragon¡­ It appeared much more terrifying than the illustrations she saw in books. The monsters¡¯ big yellow eyes shone, and the ground shook with each step of their thick, heavy legs. However, the knights quickly scattered amongst the rocks, not showing any signs of decline and disrupted the monsters. The knights skillfully maneuvered through the uneven terrain as if they were connected to their horses. They systematically lured the monsters ten times their size and gathered them into a corner like they were hunting wild animals. ¡°Commander!¡± One of the knights wrapped an iron d chain around one of the monster¡¯s legs and dodged the heavy tail of the half-dragon that flew toward them. As the monster pried and shook violently to escape, Riftan did not miss the opportunity to thrust his sword deep into the only soft spot hidden near its neck. Dark red blood gushed out like a fountain, sttering everywhere. As Max waspletely drawn in the scene, she heard Yulysion urgently yell at her in warning. ¡°Mdy! Stay away from the edge of the cliff! The Harpies might swoop down and push you!¡± Max flinched and withdrew quickly. The harpies flew in a distance close enough that she could see their faces clearly as they pped their wings. Some of the knights aimed their arrows at them, but Gabel quickly stopped them. ¡°Don¡¯t attack them yet. It will be more cumbersome if they join the fight as well.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re already¡­¡± ¡°They are not after us.¡± His calm tone was instantly drowned out by the roars of the half dragons. Max waited for the battle toe to an end, anxiously fearing that Riftan would get injured. The battle cries of the knights, the thumps of the half dragon¡¯s heavy feet, and the swinging of swords continued for a long time before the battle was announced to be finally over. ¡°It appears to be safe now. Kindly head down first with the apprentice knights. ¡° Gabel instructed and Max descended the steep slope on horseback, careful to avoid anyrge rocks in the way. She did not have the same agility as the knights. When she finally reached the bottom of the cliff, one of the knights who was disposing of a half-dragon¡¯s carcass ran towards her and took the reins to help guide her. ¡°Lady Calypse, are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°I s-should¡­ be the one asking that. Was there someone who got injured?¡± ¡°Sir Evan Crude was struck by the acid a half-dragon spewed from its stomach. Can you heal his injury?¡± Max nodded and ran straight for him. The knight, Even Crude, was in the process of removing his breastte and tunic with the help of other knights when she arrived. She stifled a groan when she saw his gruesome wounds. His skin, from his left shoulder, to his chest, was a dark red color, as if it had been doused with boiling oil. Hebaron clicked his tongue in disapproval upon seeing the tragic injury. ¡°This is only the first battle, yet like an idiot, you weren¡¯t able to avoid it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on me. Even Lord Nirta didn¡¯t know there was one more hiding in the cave.¡± Evan grumbled through his teeth and grunted in pain. Apparently, there were six dragons in total, not five. Max nced at the scattered corpses of the half-dragons drooping amongst the rocks, then bent down to meticulously examine his wounds. Most of his skin on the shoulder had been scorched, revealing ayer of red muscle. Out of habit, she reached out to rest her hand on the wound, but it was held back by Hebaron. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it. The Lady¡¯s hand will burn too.¡± ¡°T-then.. it will have to be washed right away.¡± Max instructed apprentice knights to bring some water and quickly washed the acid from his body. Even though the water touching the wound must feel terribly painful, the knight clenched his jaw and endured the suffering. ¡°It would have been a huge trouble if thedy did note along.¡± The knight even managed to smile breathlessly at her. Max looked at him through herped eyes and cast healing magic on the knight, who still acted so rxed even after suffering from a severe injury. As the burn healed cleanly, the tensed muscles on his shoulders visibly rxed. ¡°Thank you. Looks like I¡¯ll still get to live for a while.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re feeling fine already, hurry up and rearm yourself. We¡¯ll start moving again once all the mana stones are retrieved from the bodies of the half-dragons. There¡¯s no knowing when those things decide to be a nuisance.¡± Hebaron pointed at the harpies perched on the cliffs. The day¡¯s light shone against the backs of the harpies; their faces appearing chillingly eerie that it seemed to turn their blood cold. Max desperately averted her eyes from the women¡¯s pale faces that were creepily smiling and looked through the remaining knights to see if anyone else needed treatment. Fortunately, the others were fine and did not sustain any injuries. Riftan was washing off the blood sttered on his armor in a nearby puddle while the other knights were slicing the half dragons¡¯ chests, collecting their mana stones. Max watched with a puzzled look. She knew that the dragon subspecies sold for a high value, but she didn¡¯t understand why they took the time to collect monster parts when they were in a hurry to rescue the expedition team who preceded them. ¡°Do¡­we really have to take the ma-mana stones? Although it is a waste to leave it¡­we are in a h-hurry¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re not collecting it because it will be a waste to leave it. If the corpse was left alone as it is, the remaining mana stone will draw in the surrounding magical energy and turn it into an undead. ording to the old doctrine, the corpses of monsters must be purified by fire. However, realistically, it is impossible to incinerate monsters of this size to ashes without using magic, so the mana stones shall at least be removed.¡± ¡°They will take care of the bodies.¡± Riftan approached, dripping with water. Max scanned him from head to toe. Apart from being soaked from water as a result of washing off blood, he lookedpletely fine. He swept his wet hair back and stared at Max without saying a word for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the cliff. ¡°The harpies followed us waiting to scavenge the corpses of the half-dragons. Once we leave, they will be busy devouring them.¡± ¡°So, they won¡¯te after us anymore?¡± ¡°There is a high possibility that they will cling to us and wait for us to provide their next meal.¡± He red at the creepy monsters sitting on the cliff as if they were annoying flies. ¡°However, we¡¯ll have to go far enough that they won¡¯t be able to follow. I don¡¯t intend to be bothered by those pesky hyena-like creatures.¡± He spoke coldly and pulled Talon¡¯s reins. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­ are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡° He answered dryly and put on his gauntlets that he had taken off. Max sprinted past him, trying to force him to look at her. ¡°Riftan¡­ are you s-still mad at me?¡± Riftan¡¯s lips tightened to a line. She could feel his sharp eyes sweeping her dirty face, messy hair, dusted, and wrinkle clothes she had worn two days in a row. Max blushed and folded her arms before her body defensively. ¡°It¡¯s a g-good thing¡­ that I came along. It has only been two days¡­ since we departed¡­ and someone was injured¡­¡± ¡°We will move immediately.¡± He cut her off harshly. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for idle chat, go join the ranks right away.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk for at least a m-moment¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to treat you like a wizard, instead of my wife?¡± He spoke bluntly as he mounted on top of Talon. ¡°It was you who insisted on joining the expedition, even though it was against my will. Then you must follow themander¡¯s orders without any objections.¡± Max red at his sharp face that was wrapped in shadows, then turned around to take Rem¡¯s reins from a knight. Gabel, who was watching their interaction, chuckled awkwardly and reasoned out for Riftan. ¡°It¡¯s because the day started with a massive battle. Themander bes a hundred times more frightening when there are monsters around. Even the slightest bit of carelessness can lead to death, so we all have to be vignt like wild animals.¡± ¡°I¡­d-don¡¯t mind. Riftan¡­ I mean Lord Calypse is right. That person is mymander right now, and I am his w-wizard, so I must obey his orders.¡± Max proimed as loudly as possible, making sure Riftan heard her, but he simply looked over his shoulders once with the same indifferent face. Max was dejected and stood in her ce in the ranks.
Note ¨C Nymeria: Maxi being petty is the best thing ever, you go girl! Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Garrow and Yulysion, who were upied with the half-dragon¡¯s corpses, urgently rushed to her side. A knight who was retrieving a chain b from the drooping legs of the monster, audibly clicked his tongue. ¡°Have you lost your minds? There are monsters gaping at us from above and you two, who were supposed to escort thedy, have your attention elsewhere¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve seen a half dragon up close¡­¡± Yulysion apologized through sheepish eyes, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Max gave them a smile to indicate that it was fine: she was surrounded by so many knights, what could happen? The knight gave her a grim look, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. ¡°We never know when and where danger will ur. Even a moment of carelessness can lead to death.¡± Max nodded stiffly. The two apprentices¡¯ faces also grew grim. ¡°From now on, our eyes will never leave the Lady.¡± Satisfied with the answer, the knight turned and withdrew another from the corpse. Max watched as the other knights wiped the blood from their weapons after retrieving all the mana stones from the hearts of the corpses. After they finished all the work, the knights washed the blood sttered on their armor with the water on the valley, then mounted their horses immediately. They departed at once, not sparing a time to even catch their breaths. As they left the valley, Max heard the loud pping of wings behind her. She turned around and winced as she saw the herd of harpies gathered around the corpses of the half-dragons, ready to devour their flesh. The pale faces of the women eating raw meat were stained with dark red blood, the sight was chilling, it was like a scene out of nightmares. ¡°There may be more half-dragons hiding nearby. Be on high alert!¡± She turned her attention to the front when Riftan¡¯s low baritone roared in warning. They continued on the uneven rocky terrain for a long time, moving along the stream running through the valley, while constantly being vignt of their surroundings. Max¡¯s back was drenched in cold sweat at the terrible anticipation of not knowing when and where a monster could suddenly spring from somewhere. By the time they finally stopped for a break to feed the horses, she waspletely drained from the tension she felt. ¡°Mdy, have some salt and water. You might run out of energy if you don¡¯t stay hydrated enough.¡± Garrow handed her a leather canteen and a small cloth packet, while she sat slumping on a rock. Max took a pinch of the bitter salt from the packet and sprinkled it in her mouth, then chased it down with water. Yulysion looked at her figure with eyes full of pity. ¡°Please hold out a little longer. Once we pass through this valley, you will be able to rest more properly.¡± Max barely managed to smile. She tried to say that she was fine, but even talking was aborious task at that moment. They rode for another half of the day. Contrary to what she feared, there were no more half-dragons nor harpies that appeared as they escaped from the valley. Only when they reached the t ins they stopped to set up camp for the night. Max staggered as she climbed down from her saddle and went to get some firewood to help this time. When the knights saw her, they hurriedly ran to dissuade her. ¡°Mdy, please keep as much energy as you can. That will be more helpful for us.¡± She hesitated, then lowered the dry branches at their request. They were right, it would be better for her to recover as soon as possible, so that she would not weigh them down in the following days. She sat by the stream to wash her sweaty face and neck while the knights began to prepare their meal. She dipped her burning hands into the cold water to cool them down. Then, she drenched a towel in water and began wiping her back and armpits. Truth to be told, she was dying to take a bath in the water and change into clean clothes, but she definitely couldn¡¯t take her clothes off in a ce packed with knights. Max settled for airing by fluttering her sticky clothes, trying to dry out as much sweat as possible. As she took off her boots and washed her feet in the water, wishing at least to change into her clean pair of socks, Riftan¡¯s stoic voice spoke from above. ¡°The tent is ready. Come inside and rest.¡± Max picked up her boots and got up. She stopped and looked between her boots and wet feet with a worried expression. She really didn¡¯t want to put her wet feet in her dirty but dry boots. Crouching down, Max tried to clear some of the water, but suddenly, her entire body was hoisted into the air. Max screamed. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­!¡± ¡°Not Sir Calypse?¡± Riftan muttered sarcastically under his breath as he held her in his arms and strode. Max sealed her lips tightly, while he urged her right into the tent. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you a meal as soon as it¡¯s ready, so take a breather.¡± Max was about to retort, but decided to prevent herself from asking him ¡®where in the world does amander serve his wizard?¡¯ When Riftan stepped out of the tent, she pulled out a clean set of underwear and tunic from her luggage and changed into them. She desperately wanted to change her pants as well, but she didn¡¯t have the energy to wash and dry her clothes. Also, she had no intention of asking the knights to do herundry. She picked up her pants, sniffed it, frowned and wore her sweaty pants again. For the first time in her life, she realized how privileged she was to have a tidy change of clothes and clean water for bathing whenever she wanted it. She couldn¡¯t have been more upset of her sweat-drenched pants that smelled like horses. It can¡¯t be helped during an expedition¡­ She closed her eyes andid down on the nkets. Maybe because the situation was more livable the day before, the uneven ground felt more profound. Max tossed and turned around, trying to find the mostfortable spot. ¡°Are you ufortable?¡± Riftan poked his head in the tent just as she was writhing. Max shook her head hurriedly. Although he still thought of her as a prestigious noble woman who was pampered growing up, she didn¡¯t want him to think that she was being demanding. ¡°It¡¯s j-just¡­ my back was itching. Is that¡­ dinner?¡± ¡°It¡¯s soup, boiled with jerky and bread.¡± He crawled inside and set the tray on the floor. His tall and sturdy figure instantly made the tent feel stuffy. Max took the bowl of soup and watched out of the corner of her eye as Riftan stretched one of his legs and took off his armor piece by piece. He arched an eyebrow, as if telling her to eat her food. ¡°The food is pretty humble, but there¡¯s no helping it while we travel. Even if it¡¯s not to your liking, at least try eating it.¡± ¡°¡­I have n-noints about the food.¡± Max responded with annoyance and ate in silence. The bread was stale, and the soup tasted nd, but it was as if she was having a feast as all she had consumed since dawn was an apple and a few pieces of jerky. Max ate her portion of food in a sh. She was so hungry that she felt like she might even eat the wooden tray. ¡°You must have been really hungry.¡± Riftan¡¯s eyes sank as he watched her. Max blushed, wondering if she ate too hungrily. ¡°A-a little.¡± ¡°This kind of demanding schedule will continue until we get to the port. Can you really handle it?¡± Max nodded stubbornly as Riftan continued to stare at her softly, eating his share of food. As soon as they finished eating, theyid down next to each other in the tent. Even though she felt like she could pass out from exhaustion, she strangely could not fall asleep. Max sighed and rolled over to find afortable position. When she identally brushed against his leg, Riftan, who was using his arm as a pillow retracted his entire body as if he had just been burned by fire. Max immediately froze at the unexpected response. Was there ever a time that he had hated a touch from her? Every time theyy down together, he would always hold her in his arms, and snuggle her to sleep. But now, he was trying to get as far away from her as possible as he pretended to sleep. It was as if he could not stand to be even touched by her. Max suddenly felt terrified. Maybe Riftan wasn¡¯t just mad at her, perhaps he waspletely disappointed in her. Max looked at him anxiously and hovered her hand over his arm. Riftan¡¯s body visibly stiffened. He inhaled sharply, and in the blink of an eye jumped up and grabbed his scabbard. ¡°I¡¯ll be outside, so go ahead and sleep.¡± Then, he left her without sparing a moment for her to hold him back. Max blinked her eyes in bewilderment and pulled the covers over her head. In the distance, she could hear the mournful cries of beasts and the soft trickle of flowing water. *** Riftan maintained this treatment towards her throughout the expedition. During the day, he would lead the knights, mostly in silence, and when night came, he would bring her food and set up her bed, but that was all. After that night, he never entered the tent again. When she asked Hebaron where he slept, she found out that he was sleeping in a nket right outside her tent or stayed up all night. Her anger skyrocketed when she heard this. No matter how angry he was at her, how could he not worry about his own health like an idiot? Max immediately confronted Riftan about it, but he only responded with agitation. ¡°Trust me. Sleeping outside helps me rest better.¡± What else could she say when he was so firm about it? Max thought that it was rather fortunate that the expedition was so horribly difficult. If she wasn¡¯tpletely drained of energy, enough to immediately pass out, then she would have been brooding all day because of Riftan¡¯s cold attitude towards her. ¡°Starting now, we will be crossing that mountain. The road will be difficult, so you will have to follow carefully.¡± Gabel warned her as they passed through the dense forest. Max nodded and wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead. That day was particrly hot and humid, there was not even a gust of wind. Max looked up at the zing sun peeking through the foliage and stroked Rem, who seemed to be as exhausted as she was. She had a leisurely regret of not having brought the hat and veil that the pair of seamstresses rmended her to bring. It worried her that she would grow more freckles on her face. ¡°There is a small town just past here. If we are lucky, we will be able to sleep in a ce with a bed tonight. So please lift your spirits up a little more.¡± Yulysion encouraged her. The thought of washing her body in cool, clean water, scrubbing her hair with soap, and sleeping in a clean bed invigorated her. They had travelled tirelessly for so long that even the horses started showing signs of exhaustion and visibly slowed down. Eventually, they had to dismount from their saddles and continue on foot. Max gasped as they climbed the steep mountain that was lined with tree roots. The sunlight that seeped through the dense leaves stung her eyes. She gazed at the steep mountain path hazily. Her chest ached as if it had been stabbed with every breath she took and the soles of her feet felt like they were set on fire. She longed to propose resting for a while, but she desperately suppressed it down her throat. The endless infernal march continued for what seemed like an eternity, when it miraculously stopped. However, she could not breathe a sigh of relief at the loud roar that rang out from the front. ¡°Put up a barrier, now!¡± It was Riftan¡¯s voice, Max looked around as all the knights drew their swords in a state of half-confusion. ¡°Goblins!¡± Before she could process what was happening, the ground began to rumble violently, and the ck-colored creatures began to rain down from over their heads. Max screamed as she took a step back. A hideous-looking dwarf creature with dark green skin and a blunt, aquiline nose sprinted towards her carrying an ax.
Note ¨C LF: I have a feeling Riftan is feeling horny that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t want to be around Maxi. Just like the chapters when he avoided her as he brought her to Anatol lol Nymeria: That¡¯s definitely the case, LF. At this point I¡¯d expect Maxi to understand him a bit more, but I guess her innocence is still intact lol Also Riftan being as petty as her with that ¡°Not Sir Calypse?¡± made my day lmaoo Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Yulysion eximed as he cut off the monster¡¯s head with a single strike from his sword. ¡°Mdy! Cast a barrier!¡± Max was staring nkly at the decapitated body lying on the ground but was snapped out of it and started drawing out her mana. However, there was not enough time or chance to cast the barrier as the monsters rushed in from all directions. Yulysion and Garrow hurriedly pushed her back against a tree and stood in front of her in protection. The goblins raced down the slopes with great speed and climbed up tree trunks to trigger attacks from above. The knights shed two goblins at a time with a single blow, the monstersunching themselves in the air holding axes as weapons. Their screeches resounded sharply from all directions, like angry monkeys. ¡°Damn it! There¡¯s no end to this!¡± Hebaron¡¯s ring voice pierced her ears. Max gasped in horror, leaning further against the tree trunk. Just as Heabron said, the knights shed through goblins after goblins, but they infinitely came rushing down from the towering rocky mountain. ¡°Back off! With one strike of my sword I will¡­¡± ¡°Stop! The rock walls are copsing!¡± Riftan screamed violently as he decapitated a goblin. ¡°Our position puts us in a disadvantage! Retreat!¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?! These goblins¡­!¡± Their exchange was cut off. Suddenly, a dull, thunderous groan came from the ground and the goblins scattered left and right in a hurry. Riftan immediately grasped the situation and shouted lightning quick orders. ¡°The rock walls are falling apart! Get the hell away from it now!¡± The knights reacted almost immediately. Garrow and Yulysion grabbed Max¡¯s arm and started running down the steep dirt road. Max grabbed her horse¡¯s reins and dragged Rem down the ragged mountain path. At that moment, a heavy thunderous sound shook the mountain and the birds all flew up into the sky. Max stared wide-eyed sideways at the soil and rocks rushing down as Yulysion dragged her by the hand. The knights hurriedly ran off the slope to escape thendslide, while the ground beneath them began to crumble at the impact of the falling rocks. Max stumbled out of bnce and came rolling down the slope so as the other knights, carried away by the rushing soil with their horses. She could hear Riftan yelling in the distance, but no one was able to respond. Every time she tried to get back up, her feet sank in as if the ground were quicksand and her body kept plunging down as if something below was holding her down by the ankle. There was no chance to pull themselves together. When they thought that they had finally set their feet on stable ground, piles of stone and soil came racing down over their heads. She almost unconsciously used her mana at a high speed and just before the valley of rocks fell on them, a barrier emerged from the ground, shielding them from a huge broken rock boulder. Max sat against the ground, continuing to release her mana in ordance with drawing a magic form. The barrier rose higher, protecting them further from the rocks that had started to pile over: the rumbling sound that had echoed endlessly barely subsided as her mana began to deplete. She gasped for the breath she had been holding, so as the knights, who sighed in relief. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned¡­ that just took ten years off my life.¡± Gabel, who was first to recover hisposure, helped her up. ¡°Well done. It will be difficult to keep enforcing the barrier, so let¡¯s hurry up and get to safety.¡± He supported her stature with one arm, and quickly led her out of the slope. ¡°Everyone, keep yourselves together and follow me!¡± Garrow and Yulysion swiftly gathered Rem and their horses, who were terrified and stomped in panic. Max frantically searched for Riftan in the midst of chaos but he was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s with the knights up ahead. It seems like the ground only copsed in the rear ranks and we were the only ones separated from them.¡± Gabel replied as he hurried to get the knights out and counted them. ¡°We¡¯re about thirteen apprentices and fifteen knights.¡± The knights hurriedly pulled their horses away from the barrier, which was about to copse at any moment. After distancing themselves a bit from that ce, they were able to see the scale of thendslide. Max¡¯s face paled as she gazed at the pile of stones that had almost buried them. ¡°Will the ones a-ahead¡­be alright? They must have e-escaped it, right?¡± ¡°Kindly wait for a moment.¡± Gabel pulled a whistle the length of a finger from his robes and blew on it for a considerable moment. Then a sharp sound, simr to that of a bird¡¯s chirp, resounded from the higher mountain ground. Gabel blew the whistle a couple more times and the same high-pitched whistle echoed from above the mountains. ¡°Everyone ahead is safe.¡± Max copsed to her knees. Yulysion hurriedly supported her. ¡°Are you all right? Perhaps, have you been injured?¡± ¡°N-No. My l-legs feel tired¡­¡± Actually, her back throbbed in pain from hitting the ground, but it wasn¡¯t up to the point that she couldn¡¯t move. Max barely managed to pull herself back on her feet with her legs trembling. Rem anxiously approached her and rubbed its head against her back. She clung on to the horse¡¯s nape, barely standing on both feet even on leveled ground. After moving for a proper distance from the pile of rocks and lifting her magic from the barrier, thendslide poured down the mountain. However, the road was still blocked by a huge rock. Gabel clicked his tongue roughly as he watched. ¡°The road ispletely blocked.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just climb over it?¡± Gabel shook his head. ¡°There may be more goblins hiding on the other side, and there is a high chance that more rock will copse while we climb it.¡± He spoke in a firm tone, then took out his whistle to blow it four times in a unique rhythm. After a few moments, the sound of a whistle was again heard from the higher part of the mountain. ¡°We shall look around. There must be another way leading northeast.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t we be led to confusion?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a vige past this mountain. I told them to regroup there so don¡¯t hesitate and just follow me.¡± Gabel took his horse and started to move forward swiftly, his eyes wandering around carefully. ¡°Hurry, we¡¯ll never know when the goblins will try and ambush us.¡± Max hunched her shoulders, then looked around at the tall trees andrge rocks with frightened eyes. The possibility of monsters hiding behind the dark and watching them gave her chills. Garrow stood protectively near her and asked Gabel. ¡°Were they the ones who triggered thendslide?¡± ¡°Possibly, this is probably how they deal with huge monsters that pass through, and attack in groups from mountain tops. There may be more traps ahead, so keep an eye out on the terrains.¡± Gabel said as he jumped over a piece of rock that was blocking their path. Max scrambled up the rock sweating with the help of the knights andnded on the other side with a thud. Her wrist throbbed and every muscle in her body screamed. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m f-fine.¡± Max answered out of habit, but she was not fine at all. Gabel watched meticulously her condition, then looked at the dark mountain path that was covered by the shadow of the trees. His lips tightened to a line. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can¡¯t take a rest right now. Please hang in there for a little longer until we can find a safe ce.¡± Max held an arm around Rem for support as she desperately followed the knights. All the knights had their swords drawn as they vigntly passed through the trees in a hurry. ¡°Will the goblinse for us?¡± ¡°As they saw us get carried away by thendslide, they are most likely toe after us. They will target the group with fewer numbers.¡± ¡°That figures¡­ they won¡¯t give up so easily after setting up all that trap.¡± One of the knights muttered sourly as he ducked under a branch. ¡°If theye after us, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just get rid of them? Unless it¡¯s a trap, those things¡­¡± ¡°You should not underestimate goblins. Don¡¯t you get it after what happened? They may not be high-level monsters, but among the sub-racial monsters, they excel in group coordination and strategy. If they attack in hordes that number, it will be troublesome for us. They use their brains to execute dangerous traps and attack strategically. If they make use of the terrain as an advantage just like they did, we¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡± Gabel exined as he led the knights through the dense trees. Max wiped the sweat dripping from her forehead with her sleeves and gazed up at the sky where birds were pping their wings loudly. The intense and dizzying rays of the sun from earlier had significantly dimmed. The day was still bright, but the sun set more quickly in the mountains. There was no knowing when the surroundings would grow dark. Her legs trembled, but as Gabel said, there was no time to rest given how dangerous the environment was, so Max desperately moved forward. ¡°When the road ttens out, we¡¯ll travel on horseback. Please hold out just a little while longer.¡± Gabelforted her, who was getting nervous as she kept falling behind, and led the party cautiously. Eventually, the steep, rocky incline became noticeably t and smoother. Gabel, who scanned the surroundings for a considerable amount of time, raised his hand to signal that it was safe to take a break for a while. Max copsed on the ground and exhaled deeply. Yulysion came to her with an open canteen of water and handed it to her. ¡°This is sugar and salt. Take it with water. It will help replenish your energy.¡± She swallowed the round candy-like ball and chased it down with water. Half the water dripped down her chin and spilled to her clothes but she was sweating so much that there was no telling the difference anymore. She handed the bottle back to Yulysion and began to chew on the dried herb roots she pulled from a pouch tied to her waist. She had to quickly replenish her mana. ¡°We will travel on horseback from here on. I think the horses are very tired too, but they should be able to bear this level of incline. Can you ride horseback?¡± Max nodded. She slowly calmed her erratic breathing and when her energy returned to some extent, she climbed up the saddle with the help of the apprentices. Somehow, she seemed able to ride her horse without falling down. They traveled in silence along quiet mountain paths. The knights all rode with one hand on the hilt of their swords as they kept up their vignce. Max also nced behind the lush bushes and trees, in fear that a monster could suddenly pop out anytime, anywhere. She felt eerie, it was as if something was peeking through the thick tree trunks. In the tense of the moment, suddenly, Gabel raised one of his hands high, signaling for them to run. Max sped up her horse at once, along with the knights. As she leaned forward to keep from falling off, she turned to look behind her and saw goblins fiercely chasing them. The knights shot arrows at the goblins chasing them from behind. ¡°Mdy! Keep your eyes ahead! There are a lot of obstructions.¡± Garrow warned her loudly. Max turned around and drove Rem frantically through the dense forest. A thin sound rang and buzzed in her ears. She was nervously spurring her horse to keep up with the group, when suddenly something fell from the trees. She was so out of breath that even a scream could not escape from her mouth. Max gripped the reins tightly as Rem sporadically raised his front legs, trying to shake off the goblin that was holding on to its head. Max desperately clung to Rem¡¯s neck. The goblin screeched grotesquely, driving Rem into a frenzy. The mare then continued to gallop frantically and turned to rush down the mountain. She tried to pull the reins to somehow calm him down, but to no avail. The goblin clung on with all its might, trying its best not to fall off. Seeing this, Max thoughtlessly created a fist-sized me on the monster¡¯s dark face. The goblin screamed in pain and fell off the horse¡¯s head. Rem ruthlessly ran through the monster in retaliation, his graceful legs trampled ruthlessly on the goblin¡¯srge, disproportionate head. Max squeezed her eyes shut as Rem continued to stomp on the monster, crushing itpletely, before finally calming down and drooping his head as if he was exhausted. She clung to the back of her horse as tears streamed down her cheeks. She was out of her right mind; it was as if she had been swept away by a storm. When she managed to collect her thoughts, she looked around, everything was dead calm and quiet. Rem ran through the forest at such a high speed that they seemed to have gone apart from the party in an instant. Max held her breath for a moment, and waited for the knights to find her. Note ¨C Nymeria: Okay, Maxi overpower literally saved the day and Rem stomping the f*** out of that goblin lmaoo good boi Chapter 188 Chapter 188 However, no matter how long she waited, her surroundings remained still and dead silent. Max looked around constantly and nervously bit her lips. Rem was also growing anxious as he whined nervously and staggered backwards. ¡°Just how far did wee¡­?¡± She looked through the dark mountains, hoping for the knights toe her way soon, when she heard leaves rustling over her shoulders. Max turned around at the sound. She could see something quickly hiding through the bushes and goosebumps rose all over her body. She sped the reins, having cold sweats, and spurred her horse at once. Then, the monster hiding while watching in the bushes came out swift like an arrow. It was a goblin. Max drove her horse as fast as it could, escaping the goblin who was chasing them with a club. Rem deftly navigated through the long, rugged protruding roots of the trees that were thick as human legs. Fortunately, the goblin who was chasing after them tripped over a tree root and rolled down the mountain, but she kept ncing over her shoulders a dozen times to check if there was anything else chasing her, as she continued to push forward. It seemed that monsters hid behind trees and rocks, waiting for the opportunity to kill and devour them. They ran for a long time, at a speed as if they were being chased by something, when Rem sank to sit among the trees in exhaustion. She gasped for breath and looked around before descending from the saddle with a stagger. Her heart raced like it was about to burst and her nerves were so tight it felt like they were about to break. What do I do now¡­? Max wiped the sweat from dripping on her eyelids, still looking around through the mountain thickets with her sunken eyes. The direction where they went only made everything be more and more confusing. She was on the verge of tears as she bit her lips. What if the knights never found her? Will she have to spend the night awake all alone on a mountain full of monsters? The memory of the harpies feasting on the corpses of the half-dragons resurfaced and Max shuddered. She was overwhelmed with fear and buried her face in her knees and coughed up a sob. The blood in her whole body seemed to freeze at the thought of dying as such. Now Max understood why Riftan was so vehemently against her leaving the castle. The world was far more terrifying and harsher than she had ever imagined. This is not the time for this¡­ She struggled as she tried to calm her heightened emotions. Sitting down and crying wouldn¡¯t make anything better. She wiped away her tears with her fists and carefully examined the area around her once more. She could see a steep mountain slope to her right, while there was a gentle uphill lined with trees next to the steep rock walls. The n was to move northwest of the mountain. However, due to the road blockage they turned northeast with the intention of crossing the mountain. If she started heading in that direction too, maybe she would be able to encounter the knights again¡­ No. I have to move even if I don¡¯t get to encounter them. Max looked up at the graying sky through the lush leaves, then stood up from her seat and took Rem¡¯s reins. If the knights failed to find her, she would have to spend the night by herself on this mountain. Even if she was on her own, she had to climb the mountain. There was a vige beyond the mountain, there she would be able to regroup with everyone once she reached that ce. Even if her sense of direction was not strong, if she could reach the top of the slope, she could get a panoramic view of the base of the mountain and easily determine where the vige was located. Once she made up her mind on what to do, she became moreposed. Max looked up at the sun, vaguely setting a direction to follow, then began to urge Rem to climb the mountain once again. She was amazed at her endurance. The soles of her feet no longer screamed in pain and although the muscles in her legs were as stiff as wood and trembled, she pushed forward relentlessly. There was no knowing when another goblin woulde after her again. She nervously looked behind her for several times, but wanting to conserve her energy, she focused on the path in front of her. She led Ream and walked through the thickly popted forest for a long time before the trees finally parted, revealing a gentle hill in front of her. Max looked around, confused, wondering if she had reached the top yet. Thick beautiful trees lined the gently curving meadow like a fence, and the sharp peaks of distant mountains rose to its left and right. It looked like she had reached the mountain ridge. Looking up at the sky to determine her location, Max sat down for a while and allowed Rem to graze on the grass. She wanted to remove the saddle and allow Rem to rest properly, but she could barely lift a finger at the moment. Sitting with her legs stretched out, Max took a deep breath and finally got up to take the load off hanging from the saddle, hoping to lighten Rem¡¯s burden for a little. Rem shook his head from side to side and neighed loudly, then continued to enjoy grazing in the tall grass. Max sat down next to the horse and took out the leftover potatoes and jerky from her bag. She was too tired to be hungry, but she needed to eat something for her energy to recover a little, so she pushed the food into her tight stomach, then pulled out some dried herbs and roots for her to chew. After resting for about fifteen minutes, she felt some of her energy replenished. She gathered her remaining strength and continued to lead Rem, marching through the mountain. Every step she took, her back ached and her thighs screamed as if they were stabbed with knives, but if she could withstand her aching muscles, then she could get off the mountain before the sun set. I need to head northwest of this mountain valley¡­ Max continued to look up at the pale cloudy sky over and over again to check her direction, when a faint sound of flowing water caught her ears. She turned to follow the sound¡¯s direction. After walking for a while, a small waterfall that was hidden among the trees appeared. Max ran down the plunging rocks, ignoring the pain in her legs at the thought of washing her scorching face with cold water. She also intended to have her horse drink a lot of cold water. She led Rem to a t spot and crouched down on a rock, washing her face with loud sshes, not caring about getting her hair and clothes wet. Rem also dipped his face in the valley water and drank in a haste. The sensation of clear watering into contact with her eyelids, which were feeling hot like charcoal, had never felt so refreshing. She drowned in ecstasy, as she sshed water onto her sweaty nape. She wanted to jump into the water and soak her whole body. This is not the time to take a leisurely bath¡­ Max had to desperately ovee the tempting urge and forced herself to walk away. Feeling regretful, she tried to appease Rem, who rebelled against her when she tried to lead the horse away. Suddenly, a white horse with half its body submerged in water caught her eye as it stared at her. She wondered how a horse came to be in a mountain such as that. Max hesitated and looked around to see if there was someone else nearby, but it was silent. She wondered if it was a wild horse. When she turned to look at the horse again, it was at a short distance, somewhat near her nose. Max¡¯s shoulders flinched in surprise and the wild horse snorted and nudged her lightly in a friendly manner, seemingly meaning no harm. She raised her hand, hesitated, then stroked its bluish silver mane. The wild horse whinnied as if her touch delighted him. Max smiled at the charming reaction and reached out with both hands to caress the wild horse. The horse was beautiful, as if it came straight out of fantasy. Its white fur was as soft and glossy as velvet and its long legs were in perfect symmetry. While she admired its indescribably elegant figure in admiration, something strange suddenly caught the corner of her eye. She blinked in confusion, bewildered. A swaying long tail wrapped in scales was in between the hips of the submerged horse. ¡°Get out of there now!¡± A thunderous scream came from behind her. Max lifted her head, but before she could turn to see who it was, she felt a force pulling her back. She lost her bnce and iled wildly. The wild horse bit her cloak and dragged her viciously into the water. She did her best to pry herself off but the force pulling her was so strong that she couldn¡¯t help but sink into the water. She was in a shock as she struggled desperately, floundering her limbs but no matter how much she moved her legs, her feet could not reach the bottom. Dear God¡­ it is this deep? She shook her head vigorously in terror when she felt a strong arm attempting to lift her body back to the surface and Max instinctively clung to the arm. As her cloak tore, she was able to escape from the force that was pulling her down. As soon as she was out of the water, she gasped wildly and frantically clung to her savior. The resounding angry neigh of the wild horse was heard from behind her, then suddenly the surroundings turned dead silent. She turned to look over her shoulders. The valley was serenely quiet as if it had all been a lie. There were no wild horses to be seen around. Unable to understand what had just happened, she looked around frantically in confusion, then she heard a harsh curse just above her head. ¡°What the hell were you thinking!?¡± Max raised her head tiredly and met Riftan¡¯s fierce eyes, engulfed in fury. He pulled her out of the water, grabbed her by the shoulders tightly, and shook her back and forth. ¡°Touching a monster like that! Are you out of your mind?! That was a kelpie! Do you have any idea what almost happened?!¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know. I thought it was ju-just a wild horse¡­¡± The words barely managed to fall out of her lips. He continued to look at her with piercing eyes, then hugged her so tight it almost suffocated her. Max¡¯s entire body felt like it was crushed under the weight of his hard armor, but the pain was numbed by extreme relief. She muttered his name, then wrapped her arms around his neck and broke into tears. Riftan trembled and stroked her face and neck incessantly, checking for any injuries. ¡°Are you alright? Are you hurt somewhere?¡± ¡°N-no.¡± Riftan scoured her figure from head to toe. Max couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe that he was in front of her right now and grabbed the hem of his robe as he wiped the tears in her eyes. Riftan pulled her into another crushing embrace and shook her. ¡°I told you to never leave the ranks. I warned you so many times! Damn it, do you know, do you know, how horrified I was? Do you have any idea how I felt when Gabel told me you were gone?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry. Re-Rem freaked out¡­¡± Max tried to exin how she lost her way and wandered alone through the mountains, but Riftan didn¡¯t seem to be listening. He held her in his arms for a long time and only released her when the raindrops began to drizzle over her head, then Riftan helped her up and spoke in a strained voice. ¡°Can you walk?¡± Max nodded. To be honest, she was ready to pass out from exhaustion at that very moment, but if it was Riftan who was asking, she would walk all night if she had to. He led them out of the valley, holding Rem¡¯s reins in one hand and her hand in the other. Max struggled to keep up with him, as her boots got wet and muddier. Note ¨C Nymeria: So so so so so proud of Maxi!!! And oh God that kelpie got me in the first half, not gonna lie Chapter 189 Chapter 189 ¡°Where are the¡­other kn-knights?¡± ¡°I told them to cross the mountain and go ahead.¡± Max¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Did you leave the knights¡­because of m-me?¡± Riftan dragged Talon out from behind a tree as he turned to look at her. His face was stiff and his expression looked as if he was muddled. ¡°Hebaron will do a fine job leading the knights. I told them that we will join them as soon as I find you.¡± ¡°B-but¡­how did you find me?¡± ¡°I followed your tracks.¡± Riftan replied in a brief conclusive manner, then pointed to her feet with his eyes. Max looked at the ground with a puzzled expression, her eyes widening as she noticed her footprints marking the dirt road. The terrain was uneven and there were roots poking out everywhere, but she could see the faint tracks here and there upon looking closely. Seeing how surprised and astonished she was with how he was able to follow after her, Riftan pointed at the horseshoe marks next to her footprints and the crushed bushes, and broken branches that Rem had made as they passed. ¡°Actually, this guy helped me a lot.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you think¡­that it could have been tracks left by a mo-monster?¡± ¡°I can at least distinguish the difference from that.¡± Riftan replied coldly and red at her with a hardened face. ¡°It¡¯s a great relief that I have found you before the rain poured. If not, the footprints would have been washed away and finding you wouldn¡¯t be as easy.¡± Max¡¯s body shuddered. Had Riftan been even a second toote at that moment, she would have been a meal for the fishes. But the path was blocked, how on earth did he follow after me so fast? Don¡¯t tell me that he has climbed over the pile of rocks? As Max looked at him in curiosity, Riftan jumped onto a board and reached out his hand towards her. ¡°We need to find a ce to shelter before the rain pours harder. Hurry up.¡± Max grabbed his outstretched hand and followed him along the mountain paths in silence. Riftan led two horses up the rugged slope and gracefully glided like a wild animal in its habitat. Even if she witnessed it with her own eyes, it was still unbelievable how he moved so quietly despite the heavy armor he was wearing. Max watched in trance as the thin sheet of rain soaked his dark hair and trickled down his thick neck, while wiping off the raindrops that seeped into her eyelids. The light drizzle created a white mist as it bounced off his broad shoulders, and his dark gray armor glistened with the raindrops that dribbled on it. His face that exhumed alertness towards their surroundings also shone smoothly. Riftan didn¡¯t appear to have even the slightest of fatigue. Both his long, sturdy legs strode forward solidly through the muddy path without exhibiting any signs of exhaustion and when she staggered a bit, his strong forearms were quick to support her. Max waspletely amazed at the physical powers of Riftan, his strength did not simply differ, it was like he was a different species altogether. ¡°Let¡¯s rest over there for a while.¡± Riftan gazed down at her drooping soldiers and turned to lead them under a gigantic tree. A yelping sound escaped from Max as she struggled to keep up with his pace. He tied the horses under a branch with lush leaves as he grasped her staggering figure with one arm. She was too exhausted to even protest. He walked to the base of the tree and bent down to inspect the hollow portion of the thick tree trunk that had a girth so wide that six men with their outstretched arms would not be able to surround it. After cing her inside the cave, he sat right next to her. Max copsed listlessly like salted cabbage and stared at a far distance through the misty rain. Her head kept leaning onto the side like it had be a heavy stone and her body trembled while she sweated profusely, seemingly confused of whether to feel cold or warm. Riftan deftly removed his breastte and tipped it to the side, then pulled her close against his chest. The tension and fear Max felt,pletely melted away with the heat of his body that she could feel through her wet clothes. Even though they were crouching under a tree like wild animals sheltering from the rain, she felt as safe as being surrounded by a concrete fortress. She snuggled as deep as she could into his side and leaned her head against his hard, marble-like shoulders. Riftan untied his vambraces and removed his gauntlets, ced them on the ground and wrapped his forearm around her, rubbing her shoulders and her spine with his hot palms. ¡°We have to keep moving as soon as it stops raining. Close your eyes and rest for a bit.¡± ¡°Will a-all the other knights be alright? The g-goblins might attack again¡­¡± ¡°Goblins hate water, so as long as the rain continues, nothing bad will happen. Everyone should be descending the mountain by now.¡± Riftan tucked his hand inside her tunic and warmed her freezing body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything and go to sleep.¡± Max sighed contentedly at the intense warmth that seemed to reach the depth of her bones. Riftan continued to hold her tightly, staring quietly through the mountains. She looked up at him with half-closed eyes, staring at the drops of water dripping from his hair. Soon, the fatigue imed her and her eyes closed slowly. The wind whistled in the distance and the sound of trees shaking against its blow could be heard. Riftan lifted Max, who was extremely drowsy, and ced her on hisp. She naturally leaned her head against his chest. As if trying to make her a little morefortable, he removed her wet shoes and socks and tossed them to the corner, he then massaged her swollen feet with his hot palms.Max was engulfed in exhaustion and fell asleep in an instant. When she finally gained consciousness, the rain had subsided. She looked at the drizzle of raindrops through her drowsy eyes and then lifted her head. Riftan¡¯s head leaned against the tree trunk and his eyes were gently closed. Suddenly, her heart sank at the sight of him as he sat resting like a statue and breathed without a noise. Max held her hand close to his nose and felt his soft, faint breathing. Sighing in relief, Max carefully swept his bangs that pricked his eyes. Although he never showed it outwardly, he certainly had to be extremely exhausted. It was not unreasonable to assume that he wasn¡¯t, considering how he never got a proper rest, marching endlessly during the past few days. She felt sorry for him and caressed his taut cheek affectionately. At that moment, Riftan¡¯s eyes snapped open. Max was surprised at how clear his eyes were and retracted her hand. He stared silently at her with his eyes, which were so deeply dark that it was hard to distinguish his pupils from his irises, and lowered his head to devour her lips. Max¡¯s head shook. His rough tongue gently explored the cave of her mouth and his warm palm slithered to her neck like a snake. It felt like she was suddenly bitten by a hound that had beenying quietly by her feet. She moaned lightly and clutched his forearm, then he breathed a heated sigh over her damp lips and sped her breasts. Riftan pushed his thick tongue deeper, sweeping the roof of her mouth and her tongue, and greedily sucked the saliva that pooled in her mouth. She was out of breath just like when she fell into the water. As expected, Riftan also gasped wildly. It was unbing of the same man who quietly climbed up a steep mountain wearing heavy armor on and breathed without a sound. ¡°The rain has stopped.¡± He suddenly broke the kiss and looked into the forest. It took a while before she was able to process what he just said as her eyelids still trembled. Riftan, who looked like he was conflicted for a considerable moment, let out a sigh and removed her from hisp. ¡°The sun will set soon if we don¡¯t hurry. Let¡¯s get moving.¡± He ducked out of the tree and picked up the armor pieces he had removed. Only then did Maxe out of her drunken daze. Riftan was right, they couldn¡¯t afford to hang around like this. They were alone on a mountain full of monsters. The heat that rose in her body subsided in an instant and Max hurriedly picked up her shoes. She winced as she forcibly slipped her feet into the damp boots and headed out. Riftan already had his armor on and approached her with her horse. ¡°Can you walk?¡± As if he didn¡¯t just act like he was about to devour her, he wore aposed expression. She gazed up at him sulkily and nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, I got e-enough rest.¡± ¡°Stay close as you follow me. Just a little further downhill the path will get easier.¡± Riftan turned and walked silently down the wet, muddy road in the rain. Max followed closely behind him, careful not to slip. The heat was dampened by the rain, but the cool breeze did not feel pleasant as her body was soaking wet. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her body, rubbing off the chill. Riftan saw her state and scanned around carefully. ¡°I¡¯ll find a ce to set up a camp soon, so endure it for a little.¡± Max looked anxiously around the dusky mountain with an anxious look on her face. ¡°Are we going to¡­ spend the night in the mo-mountain?¡± ¡°It will be dark soon while we go down.¡± ¡°B-But¡­ isn¡¯t it better to go to the vige even if it takes longer¡­?¡± Riftan¡¯s face hardened sternly. ¡°It is very dangerous to climb down a mountain in the dark. It is better to find a safe ce to spend the night and wait for dawn.¡± Max nodded sternly with a stiff face. She was a little worried about spending the night in the mountains by themselves, but she had no choice but to obey his words. Her head drooped sullenly. Perhaps if Riftan was by himself, he would have reached the vige by now. Her heart sank as if it had be a heavy rock, thinking that she was the reason for their dy. ¡°Was¡­I-I heading in the wrong direction? Perhaps I havee to the wrong ce and have moved far away from the destination¡­¡± Jumping nimbly overrge tree roots, Riftan stopped to look at her. ¡°Were you thinking of going down the mountain alone?¡± ¡°If I went down t-this mountain¡­ there was going to be a vige so¡­¡± Max muttered and trailed off, fearing he would get angry with her decision, as Riftan squinted at her. But instead of yelling at her, Riftan turned his attention back to the dark forest and spoke calmly. ¡°You found the right direction. If you went down this way, you would have reached the vige.¡± Her heart, which had sunk down into depression, somewhat softened at his words. They continued to walk through the mountain in silence, the darkness slowly falling upon them. Before the sun had fully set, Riftan found a small cave. He inspected it, making sure it was free of any bugs, bats, and snakes before motioning for her toe inside. Max looked around the dark, cavernous space worriedly, then settled inside and sat on her knees. ¡°I¡¯m going to remove the saddles from the horses. Wait for a moment.¡± Max nodded and hugged her knees. She watched as Riftan ducked to go outside and tied the horses around a tree where they could clearly see them and came back into the cave with his luggage. ¡°It¡¯s a bit damp but it¡¯s not that wet. Take off your clothes and put this on.¡± He took a nket from his leather bag and held it in front of her. Max¡¯s eyes opened widely. ¡°H-here?¡± ¡°The temperature plummets at night. You will suffer from hypothermia if you continue to wear wet clothes.¡± He firmly handed her the nket and turned to remove his own clothing. Max nced uneasily around the dark cave ceiling and the forest that now appeared bluish, then took off her clothes, unable to bear the growing chills. As soon as she removed her soaked tunic and pants that clung to her skin, she wrapped the nket tight around her, immediately feeling morefortable. She also took off her boots and set them aside, wrapping the nket around her ankles. ¡°I¡¯m a-all done.¡± Riftan nced at her over his shoulders, then pulled something more out of his bag. Max sat silently next to him. Riftan ripped off the sleeves of his tunic, gathered the cloth into a ball, and struck two pieces of flint over it to spark a fire. Note ¨C Nymeria: I think the will be¡­ *wink wink* Chapter 190 Chapter 190 ¡°Should I light a f-fire with¡­ magic?¡± ¡°No need to. Don¡¯t waste your mana.¡± Riftan replied in a gruff tone as he struck the flint. After a few attempts, a faint stream of smoke billowed out of the torn fabric. He leaned over and blew on it carefully, igniting the embers, then took some pinecones out of his bag. He carefully stacked them to help fuel the fire. Soon, the pinecones caught fire and the mes grew to a manageable campfire. ¡°I¡¯m going around to collect some firewood to use. Don¡¯t stray away and stay right here.¡± Where in the world is he going in this current state? Max pondered as she sat around the small fire with the nket, watching his back as he went into the dark forest. Riftan picked up broken branches enough to fill his arms, keeping himself at a distance where she could see him, and soon returned. ¡°T-those are damp from the rain¡­ will those catch f-fire?¡± ¡°I picked only those that weren¡¯t soaked as much. These can be used as firewood once the wetyer of the bark has been shaved off.¡± Riftan sat on one side of the cave and pulled an arm-length sword from his belt. Max watched as he skillfully peeled the barks off the firewood. After peeling off the drenchedyers, he piled the pale branches into the fire and gradually the mes burned bright enough to light the whole cave. ¡°Hand me the wet clothes.¡± Max picked up the pile of clothes that had been carelessly tossed on the floor and handed it to him. Riftan wrung the water out of each piece and spread it close to the heat. Then, he ced their wet boots upside down and positioned them near the fire as well. Max rummaged in her bag, looking for food that they could eat. Riftan looked at her knowingly and took a small cloth-wrapped bundle out of his bag. ¡°I was in a hurry to find you so this was all I managed to bring.¡± He unwrapped it, revealing a stale bread and a dry, salted long sausage. Max looked at the loaf of crumbled stale bread and the sausage, which was so dry it looked like a stone. The bread was edible, it could be chewed thoroughly and somehow make its way down their throats, but the sausage had no chance of being digested. She gazed down disappointedly at the long piece made of minced meat packed into a pig¡¯s thin intestinal lining. Riftan cut the sausage into small pieces, then took an empty canteen. He took some leather ropes and skillfully wove the unused branches, making a hanging pole right over the fire. He hooked the canteen with the sausages thrown in over the fire and soon, the meat¡¯s oils began to sizzle. ¡°Give me the pack of herbs.¡± Max meekly handed over a packet of herbs from her bag and watched as he added mandrake roots, herbs, and breadcrumbs into the makeshift pot, shaking it well to mix the ingredients. She swallowed the drool that the oil¡¯s savory smell drew out of her mouth. Riftan poured some water over the deliciously stir-fried sausage, and within a matter of minutes, transformed it into a fragrant soup. ¡°There¡¯s no spoon to eat it with, so have it with the bread.¡± Riftan took the canteen from the fire and handed it over. Max carefully took the steaming hot soup and took a sip. Because of the salted sausage, there was vor dispersed in the dish. She took the bread that Riftan had divided with a dagger, used it to pick up the sausage and ate it. It was an impoverished meal, especiallypared to the food at Calypse Castle, but Max was simply grateful to have a proper meal deep in the dark mountains. She drank the hot broth enthusiastically and took a big bite of the bread, sighing contentedly at the warmth blooming in her stomach. ¡°Riftan¡­ I wasn¡¯t aware that you knew how to c-cook.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about cooking. It¡¯s more about using what I have and making something edible out of it. These are one of the few things I learned while I was a mercenary. ¡° Max looked at him curiously. ¡°How old were you¡­ when you joined the mercenaries?¡± Riftan, who was sipping the soup, looked at her with a raised eyebrow, as if wondering why the sudden interest. Max then nervously added. ¡°I¡­ I heard that you became a mercenary¡­ at a young age¡­ b-but I¡¯m not sure exactly how young¡­¡± ¡°I was twelve when I joined.¡± Max was taken aback. ¡°T¡­Twelve years old?¡± He popped the bread into his mouth and nodded curtly. Max didn¡¯t want to probe around for more details, but she couldn¡¯t help the itch to know why a twelve-year-old would decide on joining the mercenaries. Max couldn¡¯t ovee her curiosity as she watched him, then finally uttered her question out loud. ¡°W-what did you do before that?¡± Riftan didn¡¯t respond and simply busied himself with the fire poking it with a branch to keep it ignited. Max pried again, growing more impatient. ¡°A-after you joined the mercenaries¡­ you went to Livadon, right? Before that¡­ where did you live?¡° ¡°Somewhere in Anatol.¡± Max frowned at how evasive he was. ¡°Where in Anatol?¡± ¡°¡­somewhere east.¡± Max wanted to ask where in the eastern region, but watching Riftan grow increasingly ufortable with her questions, she stopped prodding. An ufortable silence surrounded them from a moment. She wondered if he didn¡¯t like talking about his childhood. However, she couldn¡¯t suppress the desire to know everything about him. ¡°W-what about your parents¡­ what did they do?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of knowing?¡± Riftan replied curtly and Max immediately closed her mouth. Seeing her face redden, Riftan let out a sigh. ¡°The woman who gave birth to me was a servant from the south. My biological father was probably a knight.¡± ¡°B-biological father?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an illegitimate child.¡± He answered vaguely and turned his face away. ¡°I never saw my father¡¯s face. He got involved with a servant just to pass time but got her pregnant. He gave her a little dowry, married her off to someone else, then left. After that, he appears to have died in battle.¡± A faint sneer suddenly became evident on his lips. ¡°He was probably not a skillful knight.¡± ¡°Your m-mother¡­ how is she?¡± ¡°She died when I was twelve.¡± Max stopped speaking at the ice in his tone, but Riftan continued dryly. ¡°After she died, I stayed with my stepfather for a while, then I ran away from home and joined the mercenaries.¡± ¡°Your stepfather¡­ did you have not-so-good t-terms with him?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t really good, but it was not bad either.¡± ¡°B-But¡­ if you left when¡­ you were twelve¡­ then¡­¡± ¡°Maxi.¡± Her question was sternly cut off. ¡°We¡¯ll get off the mountain as soon as the sun shines. Enough with the questions, if you¡¯re done eating, get some sleep.¡± Max closed her mouth, unable to ask more. Her heart ached from being so brutally closed off by him, but it was understandable: even she had things she wasn¡¯t confident sharing. She finished the remaining soup and bread, struggling to keep a straight face, andy down by the fire with the nket still wrapped around her. Riftan removed his breastte, leaned against the wall near the entrance of the cave and stretched his long legs out. The crackle of fire and the sound of insects echoed in the quiet darkness. Max gazed at the flickering shadows projected by mes as sheid down, then turned her head. Although she was exhausted to the point of passing out, for some strange reason, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. ¡°Riftan¡­ aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll fall asleep eventually. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± He replied bluntly as he ced a hand on top of his sheathed sword. He was always on guard, as if a monster would appear anytime. Seeing her look worried about him staying up all night, Riftan swept back the hair that fell on her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll be protecting you so don¡¯t worry about anything and sleep soundly.¡± Max wanted to tell him that she was awake not because she was afraid, but when she looked out into the deep dark forest, she flinched a little. The wavering shadows cast by the trees and bushes seemed alive, but surprisingly, she wasn¡¯t as scared as she would have been because Riftan was here. Max ced her hand on hisp. He moved his legs, seemingly ufortable then eventually held her hand. Max then closed her eyes. She hated the thought of him standing guard all night while she was sleeping, but she didn¡¯t have the strength to stay up either. When the sun woulde up, she would bepletely deranged from exhaustion and would end up being a burden to him. The priority now was to regain her strength as much as she could, so she wouldn¡¯t get in his way, still Max struggled to sleep with her heart being sorry for him. The next day, Max woke up to the bluish glow of dawn that began to shine through the tree leaves. As she looked around, she found Riftan wearing his full armor and he already had saddled their horses. She lifted her groggy body off the ground and shuddered from the cool morning breeze caressing her bare chest, startling her and making her pull the nket up again. Riftan narrowed his eyes as he watched her rise, then turned his back on her with a clenched jaw. ¡°If you¡¯re awake, get dressed. We have to get off the mountain.¡± Max stood with the nket wrapped around her and picked up her tunic and pants that were left to dry on a rock. The clothes were still damp, but they were wearable. She pulled the cold tunic over her head, then her trousers and fastened the belt around her waist. Her boots were barely dry and she didn¡¯t really want to stick her feet in them, but she had no choice. Max wore her shoes and walked over to Rem¡¯s side with a disgruntled expression on. ¡°Never ever lose your focus on me and follow me closely. Do you understand?¡± Riftan said sternly as he lifted her onto the saddle. Max wanted to reply, saying that she was attentive and not as scattered as he thought she was, but upon seeing the dark circles under his baggy eyes, she nodded obediently. After he jumped onto Talon, they began to descend the mountain. Max stuck as close to him as possible as she watched the path ahead, slowly lit up by the sun. She was nervous at the prospect of another goblin appearing, but only silence surrounded them. They found a small spring in the middle of the mountain and stopped to allow the horses to drink, then continued down the trails without a break. By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, it was barely noon. Max smiled brightly as she looked over the quiet vige perched on the wide valley. She sighed in pleasure, thinking that soon, she could take a real bath with soap, eat food while sitting at a table, and sleep on a soft bed under a roof. Max rode down the hills with Riftan like the wind. The vige was surrounded by a high wall made out ofyers of logs. As they got closer, she could see the tightly barred entrance. Riftan approached it and knocked on the gates. ¡°Who is here?¡± A man who appeared to be the guard poked his head through the cracks in the entrance. Riftan took his identification from his armor and showed it to the man. ¡°I am the Commander of the Remdragon Knights, Riftan Calypse. I am bound for Livadon under themand of the king. We were separated from our group. Didn¡¯t the other knights arrivest night?¡± The guard hastily opened the entrance. ¡°Ro-Rosem Wigru de Calypse! It¡¯s an honor to meet you! The other knights who arrivedst night are staying at the Hanoa Inn. I¡¯ll guide you there.¡± Note ¨C LF: I¡¯m pulling my hair out of frustration¡ªI want so badly for Maxi to know that Riftan was the boy who saved her T^T Nymeria: Well I was wrong, nothing to wink wink here lol Chapter 191 Chapter 191 They followed the guard into the vige. Looking around the bustling roads from atop Rem, Max marveled at the unexpected size of the vige. Rustic wooden cabins lined both sides of the road, and goats, pigs, and donkeys were scattered, peacefully grazing the vegetation. Max wrinkled her nose at the stench of the barn. The road was stained with droppings from running cattle. The merchants had their stalls set up along the road, and there were piles of lumbar everywhere, while the carpenters worked diligently on the houses. There were also armed men here and there, who looked like swords for hire. Riftan frowned as they waved across the sea of ??people. ¡°There are quite a number of people here.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of the sudden increase in monsters? Many small towns were attacked by half dragons, goblins, and goblins. It has be increasinglymon in recent months with people fleeing their homes and settling here.¡± ¡°Is there a food shortage?¡± Riftan asked. ¡°We are betterpared to the other viges, as many armies and wizards pass through here before heading to Livadon. Ah, we arrived.¡± The soldier pointed to the three-story wooden inn located at the end of the narrow path. ¡°The knights are staying at that inn.¡± ¡°Thank you for guiding us.¡± Riftan tossed him a silver coin. The soldier bowed and quickly ran to the inn to call some workers to attend to them. After the soldier fulfilled his duties, they headed inside. Max walked over to Riftan and looked around the dimly lit entrance. The gentlemen, who were all huddled in the dining room filled with wooden nks and chairs, immediately stopped talking and jumped out of their seats when they saw them. ¡°Commander, you got here faster than we thought!¡± Hebaron grinned and stroked Riftan¡¯s armored shoulders harshly. Riftan ended up ignoring him, and walked over to the innkeeper to ask for a room. Despite being so coldly ignored, Hebaron continued to smile and turned his attention back to her. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay, ma¡¯am. I knew he¡¯d find you but I was worried it would be toote. Are you hurt somewhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Sorry¡­ for worrying everyone.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize. We should be the ones to apologize for not protecting you properly. I thought damn Gabel would bepetent enough but¡­ Thank God the Commander was able to find you on time. Nothingpares to his tracking skills.¡±. Max looked around the room with a solemn smile. ¡°By the way¡­ I don¡¯t see everyone¡­ did all the knights arrive safely?¡± ¡°They all arrivedst night. Gabel has gone out to look for supplies, And the others are gathering information from the mercenaries who are in the vige. You can say helloter, you must be tired. Go rest in the room.¡± Hebaron examined her and lightly clicked her disheveled appearance, as if he were personally responsible for her current state. Max blushed and touched her nest of hair. She didn¡¯t even have to look in a mirror to know how terrible she looked now. Shyness and shame suddenly surged within her, and she quickly hunched her shoulders to try to hide her appearance and went to Riftan, who was beckoning her to follow him upstairs. He led her to the room at the end of the hall on the third floor and he carelessly tossed her bags into a corner of the room. Max wanted nothing more than to copse on the bed, but she didn¡¯t want to mess up the nkets and sheets. When she started to remove her wet boots and socks, Riftan, who was watching, turned to leave. ¡°I have ordered them to prepare a bathroom sleep after you wash.¡± ¡°W-what about you Riftan?¡± ¡°I need to watch and there are updates from Livadon.¡± ¡°We just got here¡­ maybe take a little break¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Riftan opened the door and left. Max lowered her eyes at his continued coldness. She doubted he had slept a winkst night, so how could he not be tempted to lie on a bed even for a moment? She wanted to chase him down and tell him he needed to rest too, but she knew it was useless and sighed in resignation. A knock snapped Max out of her thoughts and a restless woman entered with a wooden barrel full of water and a hot kettle. After the woman left, Max locked the door and threw away her cold, dirty clothes. For several days, she was covered in sweat and dust, so the feeling of warm water and soap couldn¡¯t be more heavenly. She scrubbed her body thoroughly with the soap twice and then rinsed off with clean water. She carefully washed her tangled hair and when she was done, she used the leftover water in the kettle to wash off the soap. With all the dirt gone, her pale, white skin absolutely glowed. She felt like a newborn baby. With a happy face, Max got out of the tall barrel and dried herself with a clean towel. But now she had another problem. Looking at her bag, she frowned: only one pair of clean underwear remained. All of her other clothes had either been dammed by the rain or were already dirty with her sweat. There was no time to wash everything and wait for it to dry, so the only option left was to put the wet, smelly clothes back on. Maybe I should wash it quickly and let it dry as much as it can¡­ Max frowned. She was smelling the acidity emanating from her clothes, when a soft knock suddenly interrupted her. She quickly wrapped the towel around her body and stuttered in an embarrassed tone. ¡°Wh-who is it?¡± ¡°Your husband has told me to bring you a change of clothes.¡± The voice belonged to the woman who brought her the bath water. Max went to open the door, and after making sure the hallway was empty, she quickly took the clothes from her hands and went back inside. It was an old robe that felt rough against her skin, the shirt was too big on her as it stretched down to the ankles, but she was just happy to be able to wear clean clothes. Max adjusted a belt around her waist and handed the dirty clothes to the woman outside when she asked for them. ¡°Can I bring your food to your room?¡± Max shook her head. She wanted to know what Riftan was doing and check the other knights in case someone got hurt. She borrowed a pair of slippers from the woman and headed down the hall. The gentlemen went to sit around the tables and enjoy their meals. Yulysion was the first to see her, and immediately jumped out of his seat to approach her. ¡°Mdy! I heard you were back! I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay!!¡± The normally cheerful boy was almost on the verge of tears. Garrow, who came towards them, shook his horrified face sadly. ¡°I have failed the Lady¡­ I didn¡¯t even realize the Lady was gone¡­ I¡¯m not qualified to be your guard.¡± ¡°Y-you two, don¡¯t say that¡­ B-Because a goblin suddenlynded on Rem¡­ and R-Rem fled in a frenzy¡­ I-it¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t control my horse¡­¡± She did her best tofort them. The two boys exchanged nces at each other and looked at her in embarrassment. Gabel came up behind them and spoke with concern in his tone. ¡°Are you hurt somewhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ are you hurt? Does anyone need treatment¡­?¡± ¡°Everybody¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t stand there,e sit down. I¡¯ll get you some food.¡± He pulled out a chair for her at an empty table and called for a worker. Then in a brief moment, a young woman with carefully braided hair ced freshly baked bread, oven-roasted goose, and a turnip sd in front of her. Max gulped down the food and looked around the dining room. Gabel, who was sitting across from her, immediately realized that she was looking for Riftan. ¡°Lord Calypse is talking to the merchants. We need to make sure we have enough food and water before we leave tomorrow. ¡° ¡°A-are we leaving tomorrow?¡± ¡°The horses are too tired to leave today. Also, there will be no other town between here and the port from this point on, so we have to make sure we have enough supplies for the journey. Even today¡¯s schedule is tight.¡± Max nodded in understanding as she sliced ??the meat and ate it. Riftan did not return until she finished her meal. She watched him argue with the other gentlemen about the next schedule, then retreated to the bedroom and copsed on the bed. The sheets and nkets were unmatched by fine silk and woolen nkets at home, but it felt like she wasying on a pile of clouds after days of camping in rugged, cold dirt terrain or uneven rocky cave terrain. Max buried her face in the pillow and immediately fell asleep. When she opened her eyes, everything waspletely dark. ¡°How many hours did I sleep¡­?¡± Max sat up quickly and then froze when she saw arge, dark lump resting next to her. She narrowed her eyes, trying to get a good look in the dark. It was Riftan. His back was facing her as heid there motionless, his long legs stretched out. Slowly adjusting her vision to the darkness, Max slid carefully out of bed and rolled over to the other side and stood in front of him. Riftan was a light sleeper, but this time he was lying there,pletely still as she approached. Feeling relieved, Maxid down beside him and slid gently into his arms. His body smelled of soap and his cool, dry clothes smelled of hay. Max buried her face in his broad chest and inhaled hisforting scent. Riftan stirred a little, but did not open his eyes. He seemed to be trapped in a very deep sleep. Max looked at his smooth, chiseled face, and slowly fell into a dream, listening to his heartbeat. *** The knights were preparing even before dawn. Max woke up to the noise outside and crawled over to wash her face and brush her messy hair, which seemed to have doubled in thickness, into a graceful braid. Fortunately, all of her clothes had been washed and dried thanks to the sunny weather. Max pulled on her freshlyundered trousers and tunic and slipped her feet into her boots. She quickly packed her change of clothes and headed downstairs, only to see the gentlemen busily running and carrying boxes of supplies outside. Max followed them out of the inn and immediately found Riftan, standing tall in the crowd. ¡°Ri-Riftan! When did you wake up? I didn¡¯t realize it at all¡­¡± Max jumped up happily, but stopped quickly when she saw that he was talking to someone. Riftan shot her a quick nce and then turned to the man in front of him. He pulled out some Derhams from his leather pouch that had been tied to his belt and handed them to the man. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll buy these carts.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. I will cover it with tarps immediately.¡± The man put the coins in his pocket and pushed the tworge carts under a tree. Max followed the man with wide eyes. ¡°C-can we take cars with us?¡± ¡°From here on, everything is t terrain. We will be going over a small mountain, but it is nothing as rugged and steep as yesterday.¡± Max smiled cheerfully at the revtion. She was sick of climbing mountains. ¡°So¡­ h-how much longer will it take?¡± ¡°We will be able to reach the port in about a week. From there we will travel to Livadon by boat.¡± Chapter 192 Chapter 192 After making sure the man loaded the barrels of water and troughs onto the carts, Riftan finally turned to look at Max. Max tilted her head away at his hardened expression. His piercing eyes looked like they were full of annoyance and he sighed lightly as he led her to where the horses were standing by. Then, he pulled something out of the bag he had tied to his saddle. ¡°I bought this yesterday. I chose the lightest one there was, so be sure to carry it around even if it is cumbersome.¡± Max¡¯s eyes widened, looking at the dagger a little over a kvet long (30 cm). Riftan carefully fastened a sturdy belt with a scabbard around her waist and hung the weapon at her hip. ¡°I didn¡¯t really intend on giving you such a hideous thing, but¡­¡± He frowned as he gazed down at her with aplex expression. ¡°When I heard that you got lost in the mountains alone, without a single weapon, my whole world went dark. You should have at least a dagger.¡± ¡°Th-thank you. I¡¯ll make good use of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to you with the intention of using it. This is just a precaution.¡± He said sharply but soon added with a groan. ¡°But still, I¡¯ll show you how to use thatter.¡± Max nodded her head looking grateful. The fact that Riftan had given her a weapon, despite treating her as an extra finger on this expedition, made her feel gleeful. He looked distraught at her reaction, but he simply shook his head and led her back to the inn. They quickly finished their simple breakfast and left the vige right away. Max rode her horse with ease over the vast ins, surrounded by the knights. The endless ins around them were much easier to traversepared to the uneven mountain roads. The smooth dirt road covered with thin grass made her feel like she was riding on clouds. Max looked up at the clear blue sky, free of clouds, then turned to see two rolling carts, swaying and rattling behind them. The two extra stallions that were brought from town to pull the carts managed to keep up with the war horses, despite carrying carts that were full of hay, barrels of water, food, and firewood. ¡°Do we really need that much water¡­ and hay?¡± Gabel, who was riding his horse real close to her, looked up at the sky and answered. ¡°Although there¡¯s a stream running near the road, the chances of finding grass or a puddle of water will be near impossible as we continue further on. And it probably won¡¯t rain for a few days from the looks of it. Even what we have is not enough to keep all the horses going.¡± Hearing that, Max became a little concerned since the rain was not a wee participant in an expedition: boots and clothing would soak through, making the movement very unpleasant, not to mention herbs and food which often ended up ruined. Yet, riding across the empty, deste ins without a single tree to shade against the intense summer sun was another form of torture. Max squinted at the zing sun and wiped away the beads of sweat that had already started to trickle down the bridge of her nose. That heat would only get worse when midday hit. And just as she feared, when the sun rose above their heads, the zing heat began to scorch their skins. The horses whinnied and snorted, and even the knights, whose faces remained impassive, were drenched with sweat. They traveled across the empty ins without even a hint of shade, eventually stopping to take a break near a stream. While the horses gulped down the water voraciously, the men ate a simple lunch of bread and dried meat and as soon as they finished, they immediately started moving again. Max never thought she would miss the mountains in just half a day of travel. She missed the shadows of the trees and the icy springs of the mountains. Sighing, she looked ahead at the dry in that didn¡¯t have a single de of grass in sight. Her scalp tingled from the sun burning just above her head, while the sweat on her back dripped endlessly. When they finally stopped to set up camp in an area scattered withrge rocks, Max felt like a spinach pickled in vinegar. Max, covered in sweat, awkwardly got off her saddle. She was deeply upset that the bath she had taken so sincerely the day before had gone to waste in just one day. It was probably best to scrap the idea of ??hygiene during an expedition. She trudged to where the knights were gathered to help feed the horses. Yulysion tried to stop her, but she felt ufortable seeing everyone working tirelessly while she was left alone,pletely out of ce. Walking to the supplies in the carts, Max scooped up a pile of hay, ced it in buckets, and carried it to the horses. She also filled buckets with water to help the drink. However, Riftan, who went with a couple of knights to survey their surroundings for monsters, frowned upon seeing her. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with these useless chores and rest.¡± He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the tent that was set up. ¡°Lie down and rest until dinner is ready. That would be more helpful than anything else.¡± Max looked at him with a dissatisfied expression but nodded helplessly, she knew arguing with him would be pointless. She was not as exhausted as before now that her body had adapted to traveling and camping, but her strength was still iparable to the stamina of th knights, who trained rigorously every day. Like Riftan said, it was better to focus on regaining her strength as often as possible. Crouching near the entrance to the tent, Max looked out over the wide meadow, now stained red by the setting sun. Riftan ced food on a tray and brought it straight to the tent. She satisfied her hunger with barley bread and stew made with salted meat and potato as she watched the sunset. She ate everything without leaving a single drop or crumb. ¡°Do your thighs still hurt?¡± ¡°It¡­ it doesn¡¯t hurt that much anymore. I¡¯m used to riding a h-horse for long periods now..¡± In fact, her inner thighs and shoulders still ached, but Max tried her best as she could to look honest. Riftan stared at her for a while, searching her body with his eyes, as if trying to detect any lies in her words, then stood up. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll show you how to use the dagger before you go to bed. Come with me.¡± ¡°N¡­now?¡± ¡°Is it too hard for you?¡± Max quickly shook her head and got up from her seat to follow him. Riftan took her a little further away from the tent. ¡°Now, try pulling out the dagger.¡± She looked around and felt the difort increase as they stood in full view of the knights, who were sitting near the campfire, staring at them curiously as they ate their meals. She coughed awkwardly, then reached for the dagger that was secured in a scabbard tied around her waist. She wanted to remove it in one smooth motion to avoid embarrassment herself, but the de remained stubbornly stuck in the leather sheath. Humiliated, Max gripped the sheath with her hand and forcefully moved the de inch by inch and finally held it in front of her. Riftan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he watched her intently with arms crossed. ¡°You¡¯re holding it upside down. That side of the de shall be facing up.¡± He pointed at the curved part of the dagger. Max quickly turned the dagger around, however, Riftan¡¯s brow furrowed even further as he examined her wrong posture. ¡°A dagger is a weapon meant for stabbing, not wielding like a sword. It shouldn¡¯t be held like that, here, like this¡­¡± He held her hand and adjusted the weapon so it leaned horizontally. ¡°Good. Now stab me with that.¡± Riftan took three steps back and said nonchntly. Max just stared at him nkly, not knowing if she heard correctly. ¡°W-what do I do?¡± ¡°Try and stab me with the dagger.¡± ¡°W-what if I hurt you?¡± The corners of his mouth twitched in amusement seeing her startled at his instructions. ¡°There is nothing under this sky that can hurt me with that. Now stop worrying about useless things and attack me with that.¡± Max blushed. Of course, she couldn¡¯tnd a scratch on the strongest knight in the continent. However, his overbearing arrogance was a bit excessive. She red fiercely, then squeezed her eyes shut and charged. However, after taking two steps, her foot caught on the edge of a rock and her body spun forward. She lost her bnce and pped her arms wildly, and her dagger flew from her hand and over the heads of the knights, who were watching the thrilling show in interest. They ducked as they held their bowls filled with stew. Riftan ran quickly forward to catch her before she fell and sighed audibly. ¡°Why did you close your eyes whileing at me? Shouldn¡¯t people look straight at their opponent while attacking¡­¡± Max¡¯s ears burned with mortification. ¡°It¡¯s because this is my first t-try. It will be different¡­next time.¡± Riftan looked at her and raised a questionable brow. He took the dagger then stepped back again. It was soon revealed that she had no talent inbat, and her coordination skills were practically non-existent. The dagger continually struck his gauntlet, and with her weak wrist, it bounced off pathetically, missing every time. Riftan took his time patiently exining how to correctly hold the dagger and effectively stab vital points but the results never improved even after several attempts. She simply had inherently slow reflexes and uncoordinated movements. Max turned her sore wrist and looked at him. She grew anxious that he could deepen his prejudice that she was a weak and delicate nobledy. ¡°This is not working. We will have to be more vignt.¡± Hebaron shook his head and muttered as he chewed on a piece of dried meat. He was probably speaking to himself, but his voice was simply so loud that Max heard every word. Feeling discouraged, she dropped her shoulders in defeat. Riftan also seemed to agree with Hebaron, but he, at least, didn¡¯t say it out loud, instead he picked up the fallen dagger and sheathed it back at her waist. ¡°That¡¯s it for today. You must be exhausted, go and get some rest.¡± Max was anxious that he had already given up teaching her. ¡°To-tomorrow might be different. Will you teach me¡­ tomorrow?¡± ¡°Depends on the situation.¡± He answered vaguely and led her towards the tent. Max looked at him with confusion. ¡°What about you, Riftan? Aren¡¯t youing in the t-tent?¡± Riftan¡¯s lips tightened and he gave her a hardened smile. ¡°I¡¯ll goter. Go to sleep first¡±. Maybe he was thinking of going back to sleep outside the tent. Max looked at him doubtfully, then walked into the tent alone. After a whole day baking in the sun, and the training now, she really had no energy left. She massaged the tingling on her wrist, then removed her boots and set them aside. Max desperately wanted to wash off the dried sweat, but she knew that water was going to be a scarce resource that could not be wasted for unnecessaryforts. She untied her belt and ced it on one side, crawled under the nket, and set her bag as a pillow. The sun hadpletely gone down and the heat had been reced by a cool breeze, but she still flung around uneasily at the unpleasant sensation of her clothes clinging to her sticky body. Just before falling asleep, Max prayed fervently that they would find a stream or small creek the following day.
Note ¨C Nymeria: UUGGGHHH the second-hand embarrassment is killing me Chapter 193 Chapter 193 However, the heavens seemed to unfortunately not hear their prayers. After five days of traveling under the scorching sun, there was not a puddle in sight, let alone a creek. There were asional trees and thorny bushes scattered sparsely, but it was extremely difficult to find water. Most of the barrels of water that had been piled up like a mountain in the carts, rapidly ran out. Naturally, washing their bodies was out of the question. The expedition moved all day through the destend without a single de of grass. They were all covered in sweat and dust, and so far, they had two more monster encounters. Once, three half-dragons pounced on them when they were passing a rocky field, and the next day, all the wagons they were carrying were almost burned to ashes by a smander hidden among the rocks. Max was terrified by the giant lizard that spewed fire, but the knights were d to have obtained a precious fire mana stone from the smander¡¯s body. She had now grown a stomach hard enough to withstand watching monster corpses being taken apart, but there was no other option anyway. In fact, over the past few days, they have encountered several monsters and she had often seen knights clean the animals that they had hunted for food. That made her fine and sensitive nerves break, she no longer smiled brightly when they found a cute bunny between the crevices of a rock. Instead, she would have a bleak thought about it being an ingredient for the stew that dinner. She couldn¡¯t tell if this change in her was good or bad. ¡°Commander, there isn¡¯t much water left. We have to find at least a puddle today.¡± Evan called as they took a break to feed the horses. Riftan, sitting on a rock and chewing on a piece of dried meat, looked over his shoulders to see the only barrel of water left in the cart. Max could see the crease forming between his eyebrows. He looked around for a moment, then replied calmly in a clear voice for everyone to hear. ¡°We can reach Caldical Forest by noon. We just need tost four more hours.¡± She looked at him curiously, wondering how he could predict routes so urately. There was nothing around him but rocks and thorn bushes, but Riftan always knew exactly which direction to go and how long it would take to get there. He always led the expedition with great leadership and unwavering conviction, and the knights never doubted his judgments. It was his skills and prudence that were the foundation of the absolute trust the knights had offered him. After their rest, they set off once more on horseback. They rode for hours without stopping, and soon, as Riftan said, a misty field of green began to emerge from the horizons. Max instantly forgot about the exhaustion that weighed down on her shoulders and led her horse to gallop vigorously towards the forest. A few momentster, the expedition reached the dense forest full of thick trees. Max exhaled deeply as soon as they took refuge under the dark shade provided by the tall foliage. The air around them was still cloudy from the heat, but thanks to the lush leaves that covered the sun, it made the heat much more bearable. However, after moving for a while into the forest, there was still no water in sight, not even a small puddle. Max became more and more anxious. She wouldn¡¯t probably be able to stand it if she wouldn¡¯t be able to wash herself today. Please¡­ she begged as she looked around, hoping for even a glimpse of a narrow, mottled spring. Then, Riftan suddenly stopped moving and announced to them. ¡°We will set up camp here. Rain will fall soon. ¡° Max looked through the leaves at the clear sky. The sun was shining high above them, and the air was suffocatingly muggy. She wondered if it was really going to rain, but got off her horse without saying a word. The knights were already pitching their tents among the trees and meticulously covered the wagons with bitumen-lined cloths to keep their food and firewood from getting drenched. Max led Rem through the busy knights and tied the reins around arge tree, then removed the saddle. She walked to her tent with her bag in hand, when Riftan suddenly came up behind her and took the burden from her hands. ¡°Come with me.¡± Max followed him away from where the knights were gathered and onto arge tent that was set up under a tall, thick, leafy tree. Riftan tossed her bags inside and held the p open for her to enter. Max crawled inside and sighed as Riftan shot her a scathing look, as if telling her to be good and stay put, before leaving her. The floor was covered with bitumen-lined cloths and thick nkets, which made the floor quite soft. After spending all day in a saddle, she was grateful for the plush nkets that cradled her aching behind. She took off her boots and set them aside. She wanted to remove her clothes that were soaked with days of sweat, but she was left with only a clean tunic. If possible, she wanted to change it after taking a bath. But will they be able to find a spring today? As she debated whether she should venture into the woods in search of water, the sound of raindrops started to pour audibly. Max poker her head out of the tent, startled. All of a sudden, thick raindrops began to fall from the now pale, cloudy sky. Max lifted the p on the tent all the way up to see where Riftan was taking refuge, but she saw him rubbing his face and neck just a few steps from her tent. She blinked, unable to understand what he was doing. Riftan turned and gestured for her toe out and get under the heavy rain. ¡°Maxi,e here.¡± Suddenly, Riftan took off his armor andid it on the ground. His tunic instantly got soaked with rainwater, and it wasn¡¯t just Riftan. With the exception of those who stayed armed as they had to stand guard, all the knights removed their armor and allowed the rain to wash away dried sweat and dirt. Everyone was acting like children who got excited while ying in the water, some even started washing their hair, and Hebaron shamelessly took off his shirt and began rubbing every inch of his torso. Max watched them with a puzzled look. ¡°Come here. If you don¡¯t wash yourself now, there may not be another chance to wash up.¡± ¡°B-But¡­¡± Like that there was no way of washing her body modestly outdoors. She wanted to tly refuse, but she was dying to cleanse her body of the filth that clung to her. Max looked at the knights enjoying the rain with envy, and finally, the desire to wash away the grime overcame any personal reservations she had. She grabbed the soap in her bag and crawled out of the tent. The thick raindrops instantly soaked her entire body and Max groaned at the refreshing sensation of the cold water hitting her face. Although she couldn¡¯t take off her clothes like the knights, she could at least hide behind a tree to wash her hair and face, so she walked behind the tent and quicklythered her hair before the rain stopped, but Riftan followed her and grabbed her arm. ¡°Come this way.¡± Max followed him, stepping over the wet des of grass without knowing why. Riftan led her away from the crowd, to a ce swarmed with thick bushes and trees. Riftan brought her behind a huge rock boulder, then took out a cloth and tied it to the tree branches, instantly creating a private space just for her. ¡°I told them not to let anyonee near here, so rx and wash to your heart¡¯s content.¡± Max wiped the rain from her eyes, then turned to look at the direction where the knights were gathered. Even though she couldn¡¯t see them as he created this enclosed space just for herself, and there were thick trees and bushes between them, she still felt extremely uneasy. However, it was not the time to think deeply about it. She had a burning desire to take a bath and there was no knowing when the rain might suddenly stop. Max nced at Riftan¡¯s face over the tarp, then he took steps back as if to stand guard. She then hurriedly removed her clothes. The raindrops hitting her bare skin made her shudder, it was a strange feeling. Then, she hung her clothes on a nearby branch and rubbed every inch of her skin with the palm of her hands¡ªrubbing away the umted sweat and dirt. What if a stranger suddenly jumps out from behind the bushes, or a wild animal, or a monster suddenly attacked? Even though she trembled from her worries, Maxthered soap all over her body, cleaned herself thoroughly, and washed her hair haphazardly. Fortunately, the rain continued to pour and gradually began to fall heavier. It fell so frighteningly strong that the surroundings almost became a hazy white. Her vision clouded as the thick curtain of rain fell and her anxieties began to wither away as a strange smile erupted out of her lips: never in her life did she imagine that she would bathe under the rain in a forest like that. Maxughed and tilted her head back, allowing the water to wash the soap from her hair and face. Satisfied with the cleanliness she achieved, she turned to pick up her wet clothes, when suddenly, she realized that the division between her and Riftan was gone. Max took a step back and looked around in confusion. The ropes that supported the bitumen-lined cloth seemed to have been unable to withstand the force of the pouring rain and loosened. The cloth now drooped helplessly on the ground, dangling from a single branch. Riftan stood stiffly on the other side, motionless like a statue, and Max froze at the expression she read in his face. His burning gaze swept over her wet shoulders, her hair that drooped over it, then lingered long on her breasts. His thick neck convulsed and tensed. Max felt her throat burn as his gaze continued to move to her t abdomen, her pale thighs, then her white feet lined with blue veins, then went back to her eyes. A strange sense of helplessness washed over her. He was gazing at her with such a look of enchantment, as if it were the first time he had seen her naked, that his reaction to her only made her embarrassment grow. Max felt herself turning red and quickly grabbed her clothes to cover her chest. However, Riftan approached her with one wide stride and grabbed her hand. His rough fingers, cold from the rain, intertwined with hers. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± His voice was breathless, barely a whisper against the heavy sound of the rain. ¡°Let me see for a little more. Do you know how much I¡¯ve¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t even speak his words properly. Max looked up at him, he was trembling like a bird caught in a trap, begging for something. A suppressed moan escaped out of Riftan¡¯s lips, and his body trembled as if his self-control was hanging by just a thread. He reached out and brushed his hand against her body, unable to resist the temptation in front of his eyes.
Note ¨C LF: Get your tickets for the *wink wink* ride >>> {[not for the faint of heart ticket]} (>///<)/ Nymeria: HERE WE F*IN GOOOOO Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Max staggered backwards, her back hitting a rough tree trunk. Riftan immediately closed the distance between them, and grabbed her breasts, pressing his lips against hers. His strong, warm tongue entered her mouth and moved ravenously. It was the rawest and most savage kissing experience they ever shared. The heavy rain continued to fall on their faces, shoulders, and back mercilessly. The leaves drooping from the tree branches scratched and clung to their cheeks. Riftan drew back, kissing her cheeks, chin, and eyelids. It gave enough room to Max¡¯s chest to heave breathlessly. The smell of rain and the sweet scent of wet leaves filled her lungs with each deep breath. Riftan leaned over and licked the raindrops dripping down the tips of her breasts, then proceeded to rapidly suck her mounds greedily. It was as intense as being trapped under a fierce storm. Max clung to his drenched clothes so tight that they were at the point of tearing. Riftan took turns caressing her breasts while pouring kisses, then pulled his soaked tunic over his head. Max¡¯s eyes trembled as she gazed up at him. Raindrops bounced off his broad, marble-like shoulders, creating a faint halo around his tight naked torso. An electrifying tingle ran all over her skin. Max wrapped her arms around his thick neck and Riftan lunged to spill ravenous kisses, then slipped one hand between her legs. Max¡¯s whole body trembled as if her entire body was simply struck by lightning when his hand began to graze her sensitive area. Unable to resist the overwhelming surge of pleasure, Max struggled to escape from his tight grip when a growling sound erupted out of Riftan¡¯s throat. ¡°Don¡¯t. I can¡¯t hold back any longer.¡± Riftan¡¯s face was earnestly distorted as if he was enduring extremely terrible pain. ¡°Really¡­I¡¯ve reached my limit.¡± Max shuddered as she looked into his helpless eyes. He was submerged in the same desperate impulse as her. No, probably deeper than her. His fingers slipped inside her depths and began his gentle ministrations. She crashed her lips against his shoulders, letting out intermittent moans. Her arms and legs seemed to melt, her nerves were so tight that her whole body jerked at his slightest stimtions. As if having had all his patience burned by her sensitive response, Riftan pulled down his trousers and sheathed himself straight into her. She let out a suppressed moan when she felt her tight secret area epting him. It was like a ship being hit by a burning fireball. She struggled from the sudden overbearing pressure, but he held her securely around her arms, like a mouse trapped by a snake¡¯s body. Max took a deep breath and groped his body tightly. His sturdy thighs pressed hard against the inside of hers and his smooth stomach lined with his muscles clung gently against her soft belly. Soon, Riftan held onto her waist and began to move rapidly. She bobbed up and down, clutching to him for support. Every time he dug into her, her body shuddered, and her lungs swelled like it was about to burst. Her vision was blurry as the rainwater seeped through her eyshes and ran down her cheeks. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t just rainwater, but tears flowed out as well from the intense passion. Max shook her head as if she was about to go crazy. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­¡± Riftan leaned her against the tree trunk, digging deeper and ramming faster into her depths. Her body was thrown to the edge and convulsed, unable to handle his movements. Max clung desperately to him, then he grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers tightly against hers. Not long after, his body turned rigid, and she felt something tepid spread inside her. Max shuddered at the sensational experience, the sharp orgasm mincing her whole body. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Riftan held her in his arms as they gasped heavily for their breaths. She rested her cheeks against his shoulder, drooping from all the energy that was drawn out. Her thighs still shuddered from the feeling and there was no strength left in her legs. He carefully pulled himself out of her and hugged her to soothe her sobbing state. Then, he pulled up his pants with one of his rough hands and draped his tunic over her to cover her body. The rain had subsided to a thinner sheet and now gently fell against their skin. Riftan hoisted her up and strode to the ce where he had set up their tent. Max only then finally regained her senses and anxiously looked around. Fortunately, all the knights seemed to have finished washing themselves and had entered their tents, so there was no one to see them. Riftan crawled into the tent on his knees andid her down against the bed he made for them. It seemed like he didn¡¯t care whether the beddings he had prepared were ruined by the wet rain. He came towering above her as he tossed the wet tunic off her body. ¡°Just one more time¡­¡± Max stared up nkly into his ck orbs, that were burning with passion. He then caressed her breasts with his mouth and positioned himself between her thighs again. Arge flesh impaled deep into her body at once, earning a pathetic sob from her. Despite the orgasm having faded away from their climax, her private part still felt extremely sensitive at the stimtions, making sparks fly over her vision Riftan leaned over, his elbows positioned beside her shoulders and began to pull in and out slowly. His huge, stone-like body pressed heavily against hers. Max sank her teeth tightly into his forearm to suppress the moans that were about to escape her lips. Riftan trembled as if the pain she inflicted even aroused his pleasures. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± He soon began to drive her like he had let go of all the restraints he had been keeping. The pleasure that seemed to boil her brain into a muddled mess felt unending. Max couldn¡¯t suppress the feeling of being at the edge of a strong climax, scratching and pounding on him like an angered feline. Riftan continued to ram rapidly inside her, pouring kisses all over her lips, cheeks, and eyelids as if to soothe her, prolonging the time before they finally reached the top of their climax and ended his movements in a powerful thrust. Max¡¯s head tilted back at the force that he inflicted on her body, like she was about to be broken. Her lungs swelled up like they were about to burst, and her head spun, muddling from the sensation. Max nced up at the dim tent¡¯s roof with a blurry vision and her body drooped, with her eyes slowly closing. Drowsiness came over her and soon, the darkness engulfed her. Max fell asleep as if fainting beneath Riftan¡¯s body. *** Max squinted her eyes open at the sensation of a wet towel wiping her body. The night¡¯s darkness had surrounded them before she knew it. She tried to sit up as she listened to the sound of rain pouring over the tent, groaning at the touch she felt between her thighs. Riftan pushed her gently toy back down and wiped her burning private area with a wet towel. ¡°Lift your legs, I¡¯ll dress you up.¡± Looking up at his figure outlined against the dark, Max slowly lifted her legs, allowing him to put on a clean pair of underwear. Then, he lifted her torso and pulled a clean tunic over her head like she was a little child. Max lowered the tunic down to her knees and leaned back on the covers. She heard Riftan turn and rummage through the bags. ¡°We couldn¡¯t cook any meals as the rain continued pouring. Eat this for now.¡± Max carefully epted the food he handed her, which was an apple the size of a fist. She crunched on the apple while lying down on her stomach, not caring about proper etiquette anymore. Riftan pulled apart a stale bread into small pieces and gently pushed them in her mouth like he was feeding a bird. ¡°We¡¯ll spend the night here. As soon as the rain stops, we¡¯ll start moving again.¡± Riftan sat next to her with one leg outstretched. He looked at her hesitantly, then finally opened his lips and asked. ¡°Does your body feel alright?¡± Max shifted her body to check for any difort, but quickly buried her face in the nkets with a groan. Her lower back was throbbing painfully as if she had been stabbed, and the sensitive area between her legs was sore and raw. Riftan seemed lost on what to do and caressed her back with a sigh. ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± ¡°N-no. it doesn¡¯t hurt. Just¡­ it¡¯s a little¡­ hard to move¡­¡± Riftan cursed and groaned loudly. ¡°Damn it, I have been holding it back ever since¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to do this. All of a sudden, I have lost control of my reins¡­¡± ¡°You have been h-holding back¡­ all this time?¡± A moment of silence passed through them, as if Riftan was surprised by her question. He remained motionless in the dark, then suddenly reached out and pinched her cheek. ¡°How can you be so oblivious to a person¡¯s sufferings?¡± Max dropped her mouth in shock at the usation of her being ignorant to Riftan. She always thought that she was the one who had always been the delicate and sensitive one and that Riftan was an insensate man who had no slight knowledge about women. Max gaped at him, feeling the tingling on her cheek. ¡°Riftan¡­ you are weird! Suffering all day¡­ how am I supposed to know you fe-felt that way? On top of that¡­ I didn¡¯t appear¡­ attractive.¡± She didn¡¯t know how to describe her mortifying appearance to him without embarrassing herself. Her hair was sticking out everywhere thanks to the wind, her clothes were covered in dirt and her face was stained with sweat. Who would assume that he would lust over a woman who appeared as such? However, Riftan seemed to have apletely different way of seeing things from his point of view. He rubbed his forehead roughly with his calloused hand and replied. ¡°With your face flushed, your eyes shining vividly, your clothes clinging to your body¡¯s figure from sweat, and your hair loose¡­¡± He moaned and turned to stare nkly at the ceiling. ¡°This is the hardest expedition I had in my entire life.¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know you were having a difficult time¡­¡± Max muttered under her breath. She had a good knowledge about his energy when it came to intercourses, but It was shocking to hear him admit that he was holding back his lustful desires despite them being under a straining march. That may be the reason why he had been sleeping outside the tent all this time. Riftan sighed and pulled the nket over her as she stared up at him nkly. ¡°But still, I was nning to endure it until the end. I know you¡¯re overwhelmed just following the expedition. I should have let you rest a little more¡­¡± He said and cursed softly. ¡°I have lost my mind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s n-nothing¡­ I didn¡¯t dislike it. It just surprised me¡­ and¡­ it was great¡­¡± Max said without thinking and immediately turned red, but she didn¡¯t say it just tofort him, she was ecstatic that he was losing his mind because of his desire for her. Max would never forget the gaze he gave her under the rain for the rest of her life. For the first time in her life, she felt like a breathtakingly beautiful creature, although it terrified her that such an exhrating moment would never happen again in her lifetime. Max reached out and touched his arm. Riftanid down next to her and embraced her tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that. Do you really want to make me lose my mind?¡± He grumbled and rubbed his cheek caressingly against her shoulder. Max giggled at the warmth of his breath tickling her nape. She was utterly exhausted, but she was content and exalted more than ever. Max burrowed into his arms and fell asleep again while listening to the sound of rain.
Note ¨C LF: The wink wink ride is extra steamy HAHA. Meanwhile, the knights probably be like: /(>//n//<)¡± Nymeria: Haha, I¡¯m satisfied. He hot, she cute, they even talk. 10/10 ?? Chapter 195 Chapter 195 The rain continued all night and barely abated at dawn. The Knights crawled out of their tents before the sun had risen, preparing a bustling breakfast. Since no one had properly eatenst night, they wanted to prepare a hearty meal before leaving. Nothing was more important in surviving an arduous expedition than getting a good rest and eating well. Max blew the steam off the bowl of the potato stew that Riftan brought her and got dressed right after she finished it. Just as the sun peeked out from behind the t ins, the expedition prepared for departure right away. Max secured the saddle on Rem¡¯s back, and just as she was about to climb on it, Riftan came up behind her and grabbed her arm. ¡°As for you, you¡¯ll be in this.¡± Max turned her eyes as he lifted the bitumen-lined cloth from the wagon. ¡°Ride this thing for today.¡± Max blushed when she realized he was worried that he might have hurt her fromst night¡¯s activities. ¡°It¡¯s f-fine. I can ride¡­a horse.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you can ride, half of the supplies we brought have been consumed anyway. Conserve your strength as we travel on t roads.¡± ¡°Please do as the Commander says. You have to regain your strength.¡± The other knights actively agreed, expressing their opinions. Max was mortified to realize that everyone probably noticed what happenedst night, but yed innocent and nodded her head. As soon as she got on the wagon and sat, the knights immediately lined up and began to drive their horses through the lush green forest. Max watched as Rem graciously followed while being pulled by the reins held by Yulysion, then sat back down on the thickyer of hay lining the bottom of the wagon. The wagon rattled a lot, but it was much morefortable than riding a horse. Sheid her back down on the bed of hay and earnestly dozed off. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t experience any monster attacks until they left Caldical Forest. Max was also able to rest soundly on the wagon for half a day and when sunset came, her strength had remarkably returned. Max eagerly went around to help prepare dinner. Although Riftan was displeased to see her roaming around to help with the work, he didn¡¯t bother preventing her from doing so. She helped the apprentices boil the bean soup in arge pot over the fire, while the knights roasted four lumps of rabbit meat in skewers over the campfire. After the meal had been prepared, everyone sat around the fire and enjoyed the simple but sumptuous meal. Thanks to that untroublesome day, Max was able to move more agile than ever the following day. The expedition crossed the wide fields like a raging wind and passed over a small meadow full of wildflowers in a short time. Finally, the port appeared before them. Max¡¯s eyes widened at the magnificent scene unfolding at the bottom of the hills. The deep blue sea shone as if it were filled with gold, as the sun shone on it from the west. The docks were packed with ships and boats and stretched out in a crescent curve towards the calm sea. Max was impressed at the sight of the sea before her, then turned to look at therge city nestledfortably within secure walls. Looking at thepacted multi-level buildings lined with intricated roads, she concluded that the poption inhabiting the city was at least two or three times more than that of Anatol. Seeing the huge city, Hebaron cheerfully eximed. ¡°We can finally take a breath. I¡¯m desperate for Ale.¡± Riftan did not respond to his outburst and simply led the expedition down the hill in an instance. Once they had arrived, they went through the identification routine at the city gates and entered the city. Max roamed her eyes around, turning her head left and right curiously. There were countless taverns and inns lined up along the main street lit by torches. She could see drunken sailors and mercenaries and women with half of their breasts baring through the wide-open doors. Some of the women even leaned out the windows and blew kisses at the knights. Max hunched her shoulders, taken aback by the drunkenughter erupting from thedies. Gabel came to her side to warn her. ¡°A lot of low-ss people live near the port. It may be too indecent for thedy¡¯s eyes, so it is best not to look around.¡± Max quickly turned her attention to the road in front of her. As if he had been there before, Riftan crossed the za and headed straight for the pier without looking around or asking for directions. Soon, Max saw the great ships and boats docked by the water. Riftan stopped in front of a crowded building facing the pier. ¡°Evan, go announce our arrival and have servantse.¡± Evan Crude immediately jumped off his horse as soon as he was ordered and entered the building. After a few minutes, several servants who were carryingnterns, ran out to wee their arrival. Max dismounted from her horse and looked curiously at the three-story stone-built building. Riftan suddenly approached her, putting his arm around her shoulder as if to protect her and walked towards the entrance. ¡°We will be staying here tonight.¡± As they walked into the building Max¡¯s eyes wandered at the smooth te flooring, carpeted staircases, and tidily stered white walls. Thevishness of the interior was iparable to the cheap inns she saw along the way. ¡°W-What is this ce?¡± ¡°This property is owned by the Verden family.¡± Riftan exined as he led her up the stairs knowingly. ¡°The Verdens manages several merchant ships owned by the royal family. It is headed by the king¡¯s cousin, Duke Verden, so they don¡¯t expect hefty grants and amodaterge expedition groups like ours. We will be chartering one of their ships.¡± The servant guided the knights to their respective rooms, and Riftan led her to a luxurious room upied by arge bed. One by one he took off his heavy armor andid it on the floor. Max went to open the windows and gazed out at the sea, which had turned red as it got engulfed by the setting sun. The piscine scent from the sea breeze tickled her nose, and the harsh crash of the waves against the pier sounded vividly. Looking out into the infinite horizon, Max¡¯s heart filled with iprehensible emotions. The sea was much more impressive and glorious than how it was described in the books. ¡°I have ordered the servants to bring a bath. Do you have clean clothes left to change into?¡± Max shook her head as she looked up at him. After removing all of his heavy armor, Riftan walked towards her and swept back the locks of hair away from her face. ¡°Then you will have no choice but to sleep naked tonight.¡±Her cheeks flushed at the sexual implications behind his words, but Riftan simply cupped her cheeks in his rough hands and nted a soft kiss on her lips. ¡°Are you exhausted?¡± ¡°I¡¯m f-fine¡±. In truth, Max was extremely drained but if she said that to Riftan, he would have left immediately and returned only after midnight. Wrapping her arms around his waist, Max rubbed her face against his sturdy chest. Riftan stiffened and blinked nkly at her sudden boldness, then sat down by the windows next to her with a smile. He then carefully released her tightly braided hair and ran his fingers carefully through the loosened strands. Max leaned into him, enjoying the feel of himbing his long fingers through her tangled hair. Riftan stroked through the tangles for a while, then moved to massage the tightly knotted muscles on her shoulders with his palms. By the time her shoulders rxed, the servants arrived with bath water and clean towels. They took off their clothes and sat closely together in the bathtub, washing each other¡¯s bodies. Shethered his hair generously with soap and he gently rubbed her back and shoulders with a towel. After cleaning themselves thoroughly, they dried off andy down on the bed, bringing their lips together, sharing a long, passionate kiss. Now that they had reached their destination safely, Riftan acted much gentler and more rxed than he had during the expedition. He took his time, touching every inch of her skin, preparing it before entering her body and moving slowly like gentle waves. Max was absolutely lost in his embrace. His hands became more skillful as time passed by. She adored his powerful body crushing her, the hot lips trailing her skin, the feeling of him filling the entrance between her legs and the sensual tingles it gave her. They did it again and again until they were utterly exhausted, copsing on the feather bed. They filled their stomachs with plenty of fruit and hearty meals seasoned with spices, until they werenguid. They slept with their limbs intertwined like vines: it was a sweet and rxing time spent after a course of a few weeks. However, that peaceful moment came to a terrifying end at the light of the next day. Riftan returned with a solemn face and quickly donned his armor while Max packed up the clean clothes that the maids washedst evening. Their journey wasn¡¯t over, it had just begun. For the next 7 or 10 days, they would travel by ship to Levan, the capital of Livadon. And after that, the Remdragon Knights would head into a long battle against the army of trolls awaiting them. Max¡¯s face clouded as she remembered what happened to the expedition team that had gone before them. It wasn¡¯t the time for her to feel relieved just because they had safely reached the port. A more difficult journey was bound in the future. Max came downstairs with Riftan for breakfast, then they headed to the dock with the knights. Huge ships lined the wharf, and on board were soot-covered sailors rushing up and down to move barrels of goods. Some of them inspected the mast, ropes, and sails. Max couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the bustling, noisy harbor full of people. Riftan went to speak to the captain in front of the ship anchored at the far end of the dock. ording to Hebaron, having apetent captain was the most vital condition when traveling out at sea. That is why it was important to take time making sure that the captain was a trustworthy man. The captain responded with calm professionalism to each and every one of Riftan¡¯s tenacious and meticulous questions, not showing any hint of displeasure. ¡°All preparations for departure have beenpleted a few days ago. Before the princess left for Livadon, she had ordered for everything you will need to be prepared so that the Remdragon Knights could board the ship the moment they arrive.¡± Max¡¯s eyes widened at the mention of the word princess. Princess Agnes also went to Livadon? Unlike her, Riftan remained calm, as if he had expected that. ¡°When did the Royal Knights leave?¡± ¡°They arrived here about four days ago and immediately went to Livadon.¡± ¡°Any news from Livadon?¡± The captain shook his head grimly. ¡°It seems that there has been no one able to escape since the enemy¡¯s capture of Louiebell Castle. No one knows about the details about the situation other than that there is a battle raging on to retake thends conquered by the monsters.¡± Riftan¡¯s face hardened, and the knights¡¯ faces darkened as they listened from behind. The captain grew nervous at the sudden grim aura that hovered over them. ¡°If you wish, we can set sail immediately. There is already plenty of food and water loaded on board.¡± ¡°Is there enough room for the horses?¡± ¡°Of course, the stables on board are also well-maintained.¡± Riftan took with him some of the knights and went on the ship to inspect its condition, then concluded that they could set sail immediately. The knights brought their horses out of the lodge and boarded them to the ship¡¯s stables. Max got on board and allowed a sailor to handle boarding Rem, in case the horse got spooked by the new surroundings and ran wild. As soon as she stood on the deck of the ship, her heart began to pound with fear and strange excitement. Max inhaled deeply and gazed far out at the calm sea that glistened under the sunlight. ¡°Maxi, don¡¯t stay so close to the railings.¡± Riftan, who was supervising the boarding of the horses, beckoned her over. She felt embarrassed for acting like an excited child when they were going to head into battle. Regaining herposure, Max walked over to him. Note ¨C LF: It¡¯s embarrassing how Riftan is so nonchnt about the knights knowing they did it but he¡¯s such a caring husband ?? Nymeria: It was about time for them to have a tender moment like this! Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Riftan wrapped his arm around her shoulders like he was gripping the reins of a foal. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the room where we¡¯ll be staying in.¡± Max followed him down the stairs and nced up at him. ¡°Will it be fine for you not to make sure the h-horses¡­entered the stables?¡± ¡°The knights will handle that.¡± He replied reassuringly as they walked down the hallway which was glistening with wax like it was polished with oil and opened the most secluded room. Max peeked curiously inside the cabin from Riftan¡¯s side and observed the dimly lit room. The room cannot bepared to their room at Calypse Castle, but it was spacious and luxurious enough. She hurried in and plopped on the fluffy bed while Riftan lowered their luggage from his shoulder to the side of the bed with a sound of a thud. ¡°All the sailors here are men. There are no female servants around to serve you, so if you will be needing anything, tell me.¡± He said as he opened the small porthole next to the table, the sunlight seeping through it casted a glow on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t wander around alone either. No one would dare to do anything to you knowing that you are my wife, but it is better to be cautious regardless.¡± Even without his undue concern, Max doubted anyone would pay attention to her, but she just nodded without saying a word. After a while, they climbed back to the deck when the ship began moving away from the dock. The sailors were busy running around the deck, fulfilling their designated tasks. As the ship moved away fromnd, the sailors pulled the ropes that hung from the mast, letting dozens of sails unravel. Max stood by the railing and watched the enormous ship sail into the rough seas. Whenever a strong wave hits the hull, a subtle rocking motion could be felt beneath. Then, the winds began to pick up and the sails inted like the clouds, the wind blew hard enough to feel like someone was pushing their backs. Max clung to Riftan¡¯s side as she tried to adjust to the strange sensation of sailing on water. And as if he wanted to reassure her that everything was fine, he gently stroked her back. ¡°This is your first time on a boat, it is possible for you to feel dizzy. Avoid looking down at the waters until you¡¯ve adjusted. Don¡¯t focus on the rocking motion either as you might get seasick.¡± Max was already feeling a bit dizzy, so she took his advice and stepped away from the railings. She looked over the stern and watched as the city grew farther away from them. Soon, it became a mere hazy dot and they floated lonesome in the middle of the sea. After feeling the sea breeze for a little more while with Riftan, she went back to their room to retire. Their first day on the ship has gone by very peacefully. Although Max did feel nauseous for hours when they sailed, she felt better enough after a nap and was able to eat properly when evening came. She went to the dining room with Riftan, ate, and went to bed early. Despite having a nap, her body was heavy, and her limbs feltnguid. Perhaps, all the fatigue that had umted were crashing to her at once. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep. The next day, she did not get up until the sun was in the middle of the sky. ¡°How¡¯s your seasickness?¡± Riftan approached with a cup of water as she dazedly sat up. Max gulped down the lukewarm water and looked at her husband. Riftan wore a pair of casual cotton pants paired with a simple white tunic. Not donning an armor, Riftan looked much younger and refreshed. ¡°Do you still feel nauseous?¡± ¡°N-no. I think¡­I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t strain yourself, stay here and rest. You don¡¯t have to worry about treating the injured nor ride horses while we¡¯re onboard. Do you want me to bring you some food?¡± ¡°I would like to¡­w-wash my face¡­and change my clothes first¡­¡± Riftan immediately left to instruct the servants to bring food and water for a wash. Soon, a boy no more than sixteen years old brought the water and Max used that to clean her face thenbed her hair, gathering it into a loose braid. As she was rummaging in her bags for a change of clothes, Riftan handed her a box. ¡°I made a favor to get this.¡± Max¡¯s eyes widened when she saw an indigo blue dress revealed inside the velvet box. Riftan looked over her outfit with a disapproving look. ¡°Now, change from those damn pants.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with¡­p-pants.¡± Max muttered with a pout but pulled the dress meekly out of the box. It had been so long since she had felt the velvety smoothness of silk that she couldn¡¯t help but have her face light up from the feeling. Max spread the dress over her body to see the fit with an excited expression. Riftan went and closed the door to the room tightly, then turned to her and stretched out his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll dress you, turn around.¡± ¡°I-I can put it on myself.¡± Max hugged the dress to her chest defensively, and Riftan narrowed his eyes at her reaction. ¡°I¡¯m not nning to do anything foolish until you¡¯vepletely adjusted on living in a ship. So, don¡¯t worry about anything and hand me your clothes.¡± Max narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, but finally relented and handed over the dress. Riftan pulled her tunic over her head and loosened the strings to her trousers, pulling it down to the floor. He paused to stare at her body for a moment with his jaw clenched, then ced the dress over her head. Max inserted her arms through the long sleeves, gleeful at the feel of cool silk cascading gently over her skin. With great restraint, Riftan pulled the hem of the dress down to her ankles. Then, he gently pulled on the intricateces at the back and tied them in a knot. ¡°Great. It looks good on you.¡± He turned her around and ran his eyes over her from head to toe. Max blushed when she felt the subtle heated aura around them, but contrary to her expectations, Riftan took a step back and bluntly turned his head away. ¡°You seem to be feeling better now so let¡¯s have breakfast at the dining hall. Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s better to leave the room before my mind changes.¡± Max followed him silently out of the room without asking what he meant. They went a level down and entered the dining hall where they ate ate breakfast before climbing up to the deck. The sky was clear and blue and not a single cloud was in sight. Max ran to the railing and gazed out at the deep blue sea with linings of white waves. Riftan walked over to her and leaned his elbows against the railing. ¡°If the weather stays like this, we can get to Levan in a week.¡± ¡°How far is the b-battle¡­ from Levan?¡± ¡°About three to four days away. When we arrive in Levan, we shall first pass through the central temple. If our timing is correct, we can join the Holy Knights sent from Osiria and leave with them for battle.¡± Suddenly, tension spread across his face. ¡°You shall stay at the temple. I will arrange for you to stay at the monastery.¡± Max stiffened. When she didn¡¯t reply at once to his statement, he stood up and anxiously ced his hands on her to face him. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to stay in the monastery, I can speak to the Livadon royal family and they can provide you with a ce to stay in the pce.¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to be left alone¡­ in an unfamiliar ce. If Ie along with you, Riftan¡­¡± Max quickly closed her mouth when she saw her husband¡¯s face distort into a chilling frown. Riftan then spoke calmly but it was scarier that way. ¡°It was already an incredibly difficult decision to bring you along all this way, so enough with that.¡± ¡°B-but¡­ the knights need a healer¡­¡± ¡°There are plenty of arch mages and high priests in Livadon, so there is no reason for you to go into further risks.¡± Max¡¯s head dropped depressingly. She learned from time that the calmer Riftan is when he argues with her, the more dangerous it is than when he raised his voice. She swallowed dryly then replied in a dejected tone. ¡°I understand. Then¡­I¡¯ll stay at the m-monastery.¡± Riftan¡¯s shoulders visibly rxed at her consent. Then, he gently stroked her cheek as if to soothe her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll make sure your stay there will be asfortable as possible. Levan Monastery is massive and luxurious, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad ce to stay at.¡± Max let out a sigh. Did he sincerely believe that she would be able to livefortably knowing that he was going to be in the face of danger? If staying by his side meant she had to ride horses all day until her hips broke, or sleep every night on lumpy dirt grounds, then she will sign up without hesitation. She came so far, struggling and undergoing many hardships, but she never regretted a single second of it. She was truly upset, but she turned and looked out to the sea to hide it. Riftan embraced her silently from behind. When she felt his warm and strong body against her back, she felt even more helpless. Once the ship docked again, she would have to see him off. She felt a gloomy wind blow against her heart, thinking that she would have to stay in the monastery alone until the battle is over. Max leaned her head back weakly against his chest. *** Their voyage continued without a hitch. The ship¡¯s hull would rock violently while sailing through strong winds andrge waves but held steady on course. Max was very nervous at first, now she didn¡¯t even blink at the ship¡¯s slight rocking. However, Max would pretend to be afraid because every time the ship swayed, Riftan would hold her tight and assure her that everything would be alright. Life at sea was monotonous, but she didn¡¯t feel bored at all. Riftan was almost always with her except when he would go to the ship¡¯s controls. Max was more content than ever, she would beg Riftan to teach her how to use the dagger he had gifted her or learn to y a game of dice that the knights most enjoyed. No matter how much she bothered him, Riftan never showed a hint of irritation or annoyance. And although she won the dice game against Riftan a lot of times, he would only smile genuinely at her and rip off the gold buttons on his clothes and give it to her as the prize. Then when night came, he would wash her and brush her hair, like a loyal servant. Sometimes Max even read books to him. When she was too sore for any love activity, they would sit together on the bed and she would read aloud tales of epic ancient heroes or romantic poetry written by bards. He would rest his head on herp and close his eyes as if he was listening to a sweet music. No matter how bad her stuttering was, she never felt pathetic or foolish when it was around him. Their time together was so precious that Max even wished the ship would be lost at sea forever. But every time she thought about that, she would be racked with guilt at the thought of Ruth and the other knights with their lives hanging by a thread. Of course, she was worried about them, but her heart felt like she was being engulfed In mes just thinking that Riftan would leave for such a dangerous ce. Max clung passionately to his arms to ward off anxiety every night and Riftan would reciprocate by lovingly caressing every inch of her body. He would only take her when he couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore, and Max reacted more intimately at the sensation of their connected bodies. However, after their intense passion, all she could hear were the lonely waves amidst a gloomy silence.
Note ¨C LF: Once again, my standards for men went higher because of Riftan. HE¡¯S THE BLUEPRINT. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Whenever sheid on top of Riftan¡¯s chest, she felt so close to him, as if even their souls merged to be one. His soft breath tickled the top of her head, and the pounding of his heart against her chest fest as if it was her own. At that moment, Max realized that she could no longer live without him, her heart desired to possess himpletely. She needed Riftan, much like a newborn chick, blindly chasing its mother hen. However, to her dismay, the moment of goodbye drew closer with time. ¡°Don¡¯t leave the room tonight.¡± Riftan, who returned from the deck after speaking with the captain, instructed her with a serious expression. Max was sitting on the bed, reading a book, and looked up at him in surprise. Riftan walked over to the where his armor was sitting for days now and wore them piece by piece. Max grew more and more agitated at the sight. ¡°W-what happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just preparing for possible danger.¡± ¡°D-Danger?¡± Riftan tightened his belt and fastened the cuirass, then turned to her and frowned when he saw her. He sighed and touched her face which had a paleplexion. ¡°The ship will sail through a cove of sirens. If we aren¡¯t fortunate, a battle might erupt.¡± Max swallowed hard and her throat felt tight. Sirens were monsters infamous for wrecking ships and drawing the souls of sailors with their seductive voices. She hadpletely forgotten about monsters, given how peaceful things had beentely. Riftan fastened his scabbard around his waist and left the room again, so Max was left alone. She anxiously rummaged through the bookshelves and peered out of the porthole. On the silver horizon, a thick veil of mist slowly crept up. Are we passing through the Siren¡¯s Cove right now? Max wondered as she looked up at the tall ivory rocks covered in moss. Her spine shook and she closed the porthole. Contrary to what they feared, there were no sirens that appeared even as the ship passed between the rocks of the cove. Max rxed a bit and sat back to read her book; however, she could not focus and understand the words she read. For a long time she flipped through folk tales, which she read twice passively. She was overwhelmed with the need to see what was happening and slipped out of the cabin. Then, she heard faint voices singing from somewhere. Nervous that it might be the tantalizing calls of the sirens, she walked towards the sound. As she got closer, the song became clearer, and her tensed shoulders rxed. It was the voices of the sailors singing. Unable to ovee her curiosity, Max hurriedly made her way up to the deck. The roaring voices of the sailors echoed loudly over the reddish sunset lit deck. The men carriedrge buckets of water and were busy pulling ropes and adjusting the sails while they sang in chorus, briskly stomping their feet to a rhythm. ? ? ? Hey-ya, hey-ya, row the oars. Through the waves high as Mt. Taesan, we¡¯ll sail to the end of this sea. To the ce where the sun sleeps, To the end of the shining horizon where Adrina¡¯s Pardise might be. Though a typhoon hits, no one can stop us Hey-ya, hey-ya, row the oars. We¡¯ll sail to the end of this sea! ? ? ? Max was puzzled at the booming voices that filled her ears. A young knight in armor who was patrolling the railings spotted Max and strode towards her. She recognized him, he was a young knight named Jacque Briman. He looked at her with a serious expression and calmly reprimanded her. ¡°Lady Calypse, you shouldn¡¯t be wandering alone.¡± ¡°I-I know. It¡¯s just¡­ I heard the s-singing and¡­ I was wondering w-what was going on.¡± The knights squinted at the singing sailors. ¡°It is said that this is the most effective way to drown out the songs of the sirens and prevent sailors from being enchanted and ramming the ship into the reefs. They will be singing all night long until we pass safely through the siren¡¯s territories.¡± ¡°All¡­ all night?¡± Max¡¯s eyes widened and the young knight smiled bitterly. ¡°I understand it¡¯s very loud, but please endure it. We must put safety as our top priority. It is said that if they continue singing loudly, not only sirens, but mermen as well won¡¯t approach near our ship.¡± ¡°I s-see.¡± Max gazed out at the bright red sea that sparkled gold, as she listened to the roar of the men echoing over the rippling waves. As the young knight exined, with such powerful voices the captivating songs of the sirens would unlikely be heard. Max returned to her cabin while the sailors continued to sing even after the sun had set. She ate the food one of the servants brought her as she listened to the loud singing. The song was crude and could never be called sweet, but the sailors¡¯ lively voices meant that everything was safe. Soon, the singing served to calm her. After finishing her meal, Max went toy on the bed and tried going to sleep. However, as she sank deeper into the night, her mind only became more and more anxious. She tossed and turned all night, and when the bluish glow of dawn peeked in, she immediately jumped out of bed and ran onto the deck. The sailors still sang to the melodies yed on shawm and mandolin. However, they were so exhausted from staying awake all night long that they didn¡¯t sing as loudly as the day before. Max quietly listened to the melodies echoing in the dark and turned around from the deck and headed to the ship¡¯s stern. There, she saw sailors sitting in the middle, forming a circle and using overturned wooden crates as chairs. The knights, on the other hand, guarded the railings and had quivers strapped to their back, filled with long arrows. Max looked around and saw Riftan among them, then walked away. However, as if Riftan had felt her presence, he turned his head around and frowned when he saw her, then followed Max. ¡°Why are you already out here? It¡¯s still not safe yet.¡± Max was startled with his sudden approach, then snuggled closely next to him. She squinted her eyes, looking out at the dark sea. At a distance, above the roaring waves, were high rocks surrounded by a thick mist. ¡°Even if¡­ we¡¯re this far¡­ it¡¯s still not s-safe?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way to know if we are safe. There are rare cases when ships get chased¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so uptight, Commander. Even if they do chase us, there will be no problem as long as we drown the siren¡¯s singing with ours.¡± Hebaron, who was leaning against the railings, suddenly intervened. He yawned loudly and indiscreetly, and smiled mischievously at Max. ¡°I have been listening all night to the loud voices of men, my head hurts. Doesn¡¯t thedy have something to say? I need to clean my ears with thedy¡¯s gentle voice.¡± ¡°Stop with the b*llsh*t and get lost.¡± Riftan grunted unpleasantly and bared his teeth, but Hebaron didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°Don¡¯t be so prissy, Commander. You should know, a man¡¯s heart must be as wide as the great, vast seas¡­¡± ¡°Shut your mouth before I throw you into the sea.¡± Riftan replied with a bark and ced a hand on Max¡¯s back, leading her towards where the knights and sailors gathered. ¡°We made a meat stew to eat as replenishment for the energies we lost from staying awake through the night. While you¡¯re up here on the deck, have a bowl of it too.¡± As they approached therge cauldron, a sailor poured the thick steaming stew into a clean bowl and handed it to Max. She gratefully epted the steaming bowl and sat on arge crate. Riftan sat next to her with his own bowl, and they sipped their meals. She stirred the soup with her spoon and looked at the sailor¡¯s faces. After a long night, everyone seemed exhausted from singing all night. Most of their faces were gaunt, but some of the sturdier sailors continued to hum tunes near the stern. A young sailor ying a mandolin approached Riftan while she was gazing at them. ¡°Great Knight, may I offer to y a song for your beloved wife?¡± Max¡¯s eyes flew up at the sudden request, and Riftan, who was drinking soup, stopped and scowled at the sailor. The sailor continued politely. ¡°It¡¯s sickening to repeatedly hear the songs of the sea we sang all night¡­ If there is a particr song the Lady wishes to hear, then I will put all my heart into singing it.¡± Riftan looked at him silently and then turned to Max. ¡°Is there a song you would like to hear?¡± Suddenly, all the sailors and knights turned to look towards her. Max shook her head. ¡°N-nothing in particr¡­¡± ¡°I am well-versed with a lot of folk songs as well. I¡¯ll y any song that thedy will request.¡± Max looked at the sailor¡¯s face, full of anticipation. She couldn¡¯t refuse, her face scrunched to a difficult expression as she tried to think. When she was still at Castle Croix, there were many songs performed by the bards, but when asked directly what song she would like to hear, nothing urred to her. Max searched her mind, looking side to side. Then suddenly, she remembered the song performed during the Anatol Spring Festival. ¡°I don¡¯t know it¡¯s t-title¡­ but it¡¯s a song I heard at a vige festival¡­¡± ¡°Does the Lady remember the lyrics?¡± The sailor tilted his head at her vague request. She hummed some verses she remembered hearing, as she struggled to search her memories. Then, the sailor¡¯s face lit up with a wide smile as if he recognized it. ¡°That is Adelian¡¯s poetry. It is a folk song that has been sung since the founding of the Roem era. It is also my favorite song. I shall sing and y it well for thedy.¡± The sailor adjusted his posture and began to strum the mandolin in his hand. Max smiled as the familiar tone restored her warm nostalgia for spring. The tempo was slowerpared to what she heard from the festival, and Max was taken aback by the mncholic melody. Soon, the young sailor¡¯s charming baritone voice resounded softly. ? ? ? The knight kissed the nymph¡¯s face And flew far into the distant sky The oak tree he loved Left alone on the hill Amidst the wind Its delicate branches swayed Please dragon, take his shattered broken body to thend of eternal rest From this chaotd Darling, far away Aah~ Darling, I will love you Until the day I breathe myst breath.¡± ? ? ? Max leaned on Riftan¡¯s shoulders as she savored the resounding delicate tune of the mandolin. It wasn¡¯t that long ago, but the moment when she was dancing on the fields felt so far away.
Note ¨C LF: Hebaron scoring points again hahaha. The legend is bothering me though, I feel like it has a deep connection to the story and its yet to be revealed. HMMM Chapter 198 Chapter 198 The knights who were leaning against the railings all apuded after the performance. Even Max pped her hands and praised the sailor. ¡°It was a p-pleasing performance. Butpared to the song I heard back in the festival¡­I think it¡¯s a little different.¡± ¡°The lyrics and verses of Adelian¡¯s poetry slightly vary from region to region. That was the second verse of the song that originated from Gillian, the capital of Roem. Didn¡¯t thedy find the lyrics to her liking?¡± Max quickly shook her head. ¡°It was a very¡­ beautiful song.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d the Lady says she enjoyed it.¡± The sailor¡¯s mouth widened into a gleeful smile. He ced an arm in front of his belly and bowed politely. Riftan, who was silently sipping his soup next to Max, searched his pockets and threw a denar at the sailor. ¡°It¡¯s a reward for making my wife happy. Whenever you have spare time, y her the songs she requests to hear.¡± ¡°It will be a pleasure.¡± The sailor smiled, delighted at the generous reward that is a gold coin. Riftan set his empty bowl aside, then urged Max to finish hers as well. When she finished her stew, the pale glow of dawn was approaching. She watched the silvery white rays of sun that shone over the dark blue sea, then Riftan escorted her back to their room. He stood by the doorway and gently caressed her cheek. ¡°Get some more sleep. We¡¯ll get out of the dangerous waters at noon.¡± ¡°Riftan¡­ are you not tired?¡± A faint smile was seen on Riftan¡¯s lips at Max¡¯s worried expression. ¡°This is nothing. Don¡¯t worry about me and be at ease.¡± Then, he lowered his head to ce a kiss on her forehead and closed the door. Max smiled bitterly. Riftan didn¡¯t seem to be aware that it was impossible for her to do what he says, to not care about him and put her feelings at ease. Max trudged to the porthole and gazed out at the turbulent sea. The ship sailed forward vigorously through the waves and for a long time, only the sounds of the waves were heard amidst the suffocating silence. Soon, the towering rocks that were dimly seen at the other side of the sea grew out of sight. When they had sailedpletely out of the Siren¡¯s territories, the weary sailors descended from the deck to eat and sleep properly. The knights also removed their armors and went to rest. Only Riftan climbed up on the bridge, discussed with the captain of the ship, and held his vignce. The sun was already setting when he finally returned to the room to take off his armor and eat a proper meal. ¡°The captain said that by tomorrow morning at thetest, we will be able to reach the banks of the Crisamt River. Then, we¡¯ll reach Levan after sailing through the river for half a day.¡± Max¡¯s eyes widened, her heart beating loudly and sinking at the same time. Riftan gulped down some ale and continued to speak in a blunt tone. ¡°It was a usually bustling and noisy city, but the situation may not be as pleasant, as these days there¡¯s a possibility that an army of trolls would lurk to strike their heads. Don¡¯t mind it if people seem to appear a little wary.¡± ¡°Is it possible for dangerous situations to ha-happen¡­ in the capital?¡± ¡°That will never happen.¡± He finished the meal set on the table in an instant and asserted coldly as he munched on an apple. ¡°The monsters won¡¯t travel further south. We will reim the castle they have captured and rescue the expedition team that went before us. You will stay in the monastery for only a few months.¡± He threw the apple seed out of the ship and licked the fruit¡¯s juice off his fingers. Although he appeared like a rxed tiger resting on top of a rock, there was a determined glint in his eyes. ¡°I will put an end to this war before the wind season arrives and take you back to Anatol. You¡¯ll only have to wait for a little more.¡± Max felt her heart pounding loudly against her chest and her throat tightening. The fire season had barely begun and even Riftan, who was usually confident, expected the battle tost at least months. She licked her parched lips, then Riftan pulled her to hisp and embraced her. She was trembling with the fear of their uing separation and burrowed herself deeply into his arms, like a child who had just woken up from a nightmare. She couldn¡¯t let it sink in that tomorrow he would go away from her. Max wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly enough to the point that it strained their breathing. Riftan took a deep breath and buried his face in her hair. Then her nape, which was cold in the night air, suddenly heated up from Riftan¡¯s hot breath. Max muttered in a trembling voice against his shoulder. ¡°You must¡­ hu-hurry ande back to me.¡± ¡°¡­I will.¡± Riftan¡¯s body also faintly trembled, he enclosed her in his arms andid her against the bed. Max gazed up at him, her eyes shaking as she felt her blood rushing quickly. Riftan caressed her mounds over her thin robe and spread feathery kisses on her temples down to her nape. His damp lips wandered in the dip of her corbones, then moved to the valley between her breasts. He lifted his head and captured her lips with his and Max closed her eyes, lost in the heat that made her feel like it was melting her whole being. *** The next day, Max woke up to the sound of the seabirds. She rose from her bed, approached the porthole, and looked out to see birds soaring over the glimmering waters, pping their wings. She was staring dazed at them, when Riftan also woke up and stood from the bed to follow and embrace her from behind. ¡°What are you looking at so interestingly?¡± ¡°I heard the sound of b-birds. There have been no s-seabirds in sight¡­ until now.¡± ¡°Birds are usually only seen when it¡¯s nearnd. Rarely do they fly out to the middle of the sea.¡± Riftan traced the bridge of his nose against Max¡¯s nape and gazed out at the sea with his dark eyes. A weak sigh escaped from between his lips. ¡°It seems like we¡¯ll reach our destination earlier than we have nned to. We must prepare to board off the ship.¡± He then slowly pulled his body away from hers. Max used all of her self-control to keep herself from clinging onto him. They washed their bodies in silence with the clean water brought by one of the servants and changed into tidy clothes. As always, Riftan took care of putting his armor on his own and went out of the room, Max then followed shortly after and went up to the deck. As Riftan had said,nd then began to slowly appear from the far edge of the horizon. ¡°All sailors, go down and man the oars!¡± At the captain¡¯smand, the sailors rushed down the stairs to the oars. Soon, the ship cautiously approached thend, avoiding reefs as it drew closer ind. Shortly after advancing through the rocky interior, a wide triangr estuary linking the emerald waters of Crisamt River and the West Sea came to sight. The sailors pulled up the sails and tightened the ropes, then rowed vigorously up the river. The knights who were dressed in full armor went down to the stables to ce saddles on the horses and load their luggage. Yulysion and Garrow took Max¡¯s luggage and ced a saddle on Rem. Max looked intently at the few cabins and other ferries lined up along the riverbank amidst the intense shaking and rocking, consequences of navigating through the river. Waterfowls were plunging their heads into the wide river to snatch a fish, before flying back into the sky. She also saw small merchant ships passing by, loaded with plentiful goods. As they sailed upriver, the number of ships and boats increased and soon arge pier lined with huge ships appeared. cing a hand on the railing, Riftan spoke. ¡°That¡¯s Levan, the capital of Livadon.¡± Max stared at the huge harbor in amazement. There were dozens of giant ships and tall white buildings stacked evenly throughout the city. It would be unfair to simply call Livadon a neighboring country when the sheer exotic atmosphere exuded from its appearance. All of Levan¡¯s buildings were either square or vaulted,pletely straying away from the traditional architectural style of ancient Roem, whose building roofs were pointed into spires. The buildings in Levan were also incredibly pure white. ¡°That is the monastery where you will be staying.¡± Riftan pointed to the huge temple perched beside a mountain. Looking at the white structure surrounded by ivory pirs with a curious gaze, it appearedpletely different from what Max had expected. Just the outside alone was different from the deste, restricted monasteries she knew. ¡°I-Instead of a monastery¡­ it looks more like an a-ancient temple¡­¡± ¡°As you can see, all the buildings follow the pre-Roem era style. This is because Livadon preserved the ancient era architectural designs and lifestyles. Most of the country, except for the northern regions, follows the Protestant doctrine.¡± It wasn¡¯t surprising that Riftan knew so much history given the amount of time he spent in Livadon as a mercenary. ¡°It¡¯s not as restrictive as you think, the people are much more free-spirited here.¡± Max felt a little relieved. Ever since she was a child, she had been educated harshly by a cold priest, who was adamant about the doctrines of the Catholic Church, so she secretly worried about staying in a monastery where the lifestyle is usually strict. As their ship drew closer to the harbor, the sailors ran busily around the deck, tossing out thick ropes, lowering the anchors and tying the ship tightly to the dock. Seeing Whedon¡¯s g fluttering in the wind, a curious crowd gathered near their ship. The sailors quickly lowered the gangnk and fixed the sturdy board firmly to the ground, before the knights led their horses down in a single file. As soon as the people of Livadon realized that the strongest knight in the world hade to rescue Livadon from the crisis, they began to chant loudly in unison. ¡°Rossem Uigru de Calypse!¡± The warm wee was extremely enthusiastic, so Max¡¯s worry of needing to be vignt was washed away. She climbed onto Rem and followed the knights through the overwhelming crowd. Riftan¡¯s strong aura emanated immensely as he led the knights at the forefront. His strong, masculine perched face, on top of hisrge ck horse, gave off an authoritative air as he looked straight ahead, something that nobles could only wish to possess. Paired with his broad, powerful shoulders and long, thick legs that were in perfect control of his warhorse, he radiated a restrained power. The people of Livadon, who gathered around the harbor to see the knight who vanquished the dragon, seemedpletely enchanted by him. Wherever the Remdragon Knights passed, they showered them with colorful flowers and waved their white handkerchiefs enthusiastically. ¡°You persevered and came all this way, Whedon¡¯s strongest knight, Sir Riftan Calypse. Thank you foring to Livadon¡¯s aid.¡± Knights bearing the seal and white g of the Livadon royal family approached after they passed through the main road and marched to get to the great hall. Max poked her head from behind and saw about thirty knights, d in silver-gray armor, standing in the middle of the boulevard. And at the head, a middle-aged man greeted them atop a reddish-brown warhorse. Riftan moved towards him and spoke bluntly. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s been a while, Grand Duke Druick Aren.¡± The Grand Duke gave him a wide smile and his formal tone immediately changed as if he was addressing an old friend. ¡°I¡¯m honored that you remember my name. It¡¯s been six years¡­ no, another year has already passed¡­so it has been seven years since you gave my younger brother a good beating.¡± Max started sweating profusely at the nobleman¡¯s words. She wondered if this nobleman had hostility towards Riftan. However, contrary to her concern, the man simply led his horse to Riftan¡¯s side, and with a friendly smile, extended his hand towards Riftan. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve be greater of a knight than you already were back then. It¡¯s surprising how manly you have be. Sejour will surely be furious once he discovers your physique has grown more significant than his.¡±
Note ¨C Nymeria: Such a bittersweet chapter T.T I don¡¯t want my Riftan boi to go! I know we held a grudge against him a bunch of chapters ago, but now I just don¡¯t want him to leave ?_? Chapter 199 Chapter 199 ¡°Is Sejour Aren in Louiebell?¡± Riftan asked while lightly sping the outstretched hand of the Archduke. Archduke Aren¡¯s smile faded from his lips and he nodded calmly. ¡°He¡¯s trying to rally the scattered allied forces to face the Troll Army.¡± ¡°How many additional reinforcements have been deployed?¡± ¡°3500 in total, including the knights.¡± The Archduke replied in a concise tone, then continued. ¡°Whedon¡¯s royal family sent 1500 troops and Balto sent 2000. As soon as they arrived, they immediately left for the battlefield.¡± ¡°Have the Holy Knights arrived?¡± ¡°The Knights of Osyria are traveling ind, so it will take them some more time before they get here.¡± The Archduke turned his horse and rode alongside Riftan. ¡°Let us head to the royal castle first. We have prepared a weing banquet for the Remdragon Knights.¡± Riftan shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t intend on wasting time. We have already eaten and drank our fill on the ship. We shall stop by the central temple, prepare the ranks, and leave for Louiebell immediately.¡± ¡°Still as impatient as ever.¡± The Grand Duke sighed. ¡°If that is the Sir¡¯s wish, then I shall guide you to the central temple. ¡° He motioned for the Royal Knights of Livadon to follow him and the men drove their horses to follow his direction, then began to traverse the main road. The crowd paved the way for them, immediately splitting left and right to clear the road. Max and the Remdragon Knights rode their horses in an organized line. The streets were lined with rows of green freshurels, and crude stone buildings lined either side of the wide road made of t stones in perfect symmetry. They marched for quite some time before arge, open courtyard with a fountain appeared; in the middle, there was a wide stone staircase that led to the Central Temple. The Grand Duke stopped in front of the stairs and began to give a brief exnation. ¡°The building at the top of the stairs is the Central Temple. The sanctuary and infirmary are on the right side behind the chapel, and the guards¡¯ post are on the left. The knights¡¯ lodgings are located just behind the guards¡¯ post.¡± Max stared in amazement at the splendor before her. The temple exuded a certain sense of calm with its rustic yet elegant appearance. Six ivory-colored pirs stood tall to support a huge circr turquoise ceiling carved in marble. Roem¡¯s first emperor, Darian, could be seen along Uigru, the first twelve knights and the celestial dragon, defending the men. While looking at the surprisingly detailed and delicate image, Yulyson gently approached her. ¡°Mdy, I¡¯ll help you descend from your horse.¡± Max hurriedly lowered her gaze. Soon, Riftan and the Remdragon Knights got off their horses and headed towards the stairs. She also swiftly came down from Rem with the help of Yulysion. As she followed the men who were heading to the stairs, priests in monastic robes appeared out of the temple. The knights then entrusted their horses to them and went inside the temple. Max stroked Rem to calm the horse, who was unfamiliar with the surroundings then handed the reins to one of the priests. Afterwards, she walked into the temple¡¯s entrance. Livadon¡¯s temple exuded a sensual atmosphere, so unlike the church buildings in Whedon. The temple¡¯s arched ceilings were covered in ancient paintings and colorful rays poured out of the stained sses that filled the huge windows. The priests¡¯ robes were also far from pretentious, they were made of stiff dark brown cloth that reached their toes with a twisted rope as a belt. An elderly man, who seemed to have the highest authority among the priests, stepped towards Riftan and Archduke Aren. ¡°Wee to the Lord¡¯s resting ce.¡± ¡°These precious guests came from Whedon to aid Livadon. Will you allow them to stay in the temple until they leave for Louiebell?¡± As the Archduke spoke, the elderly priest¡¯s pale blue eyes flew towards Riftan and the Remdragon knights. ¡°Of course, I shall tend to them with hospitality. Please tell me if you need anything.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be staying for long. We shall leave immediately once we have gathered enough supplies and armory, we¡¯ll also be needing a high priest who could apany us on our journey to Louiebell.¡± The old priest, who was looking into Riftan¡¯s eyes, nodded slowly and whispered an instruction to the priest standing on his right. The priest who received the instructions immediately left the line to do the tasks. ¡°I shall immediately call for two high priests. We shall also provide the supplies you will be needing.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help prepare and replenish your weapons and armory. Three hundred elite knights of Livadon are to apany the Remdragon Knights.¡± Archduke Aren dered and pointed to the line of knights who stood outside of the temple. ¡°Leave the preparations to us, the guests shall rest and rx until everything is ready for departure.¡± As soon as they finished exchanging words, the priests split into two groups to guide the knights. They passed through the arched doors, then through a cast garden doused in sunlight and through an orchard densely popted with pomegranate trees. A grayish white building, surrounded by beautiful cypress trees, soon appeared before the stone paths. The knights followed the priest and entered the building that had a cozy atmosphere. Before them appeared arge two-story hall that could amodate at least 800 people. ¡°This is where pilgrimse to rest. We will prepare a meal right away, please restfortably in the meantime.¡± When the priests left, the knights let out a long sigh as they slumped on the thick padded chairs or opened the even partitions andid out cots. The apprentices ran hurriedly towards them to help them remove their armor, all while looking curiously around the room. Max also wandered her eyes, looking at the paintings on the wall and the intricate carvings on the pirs. She was only pulled out from her daze when Riftan called out to her. He was sitting across the Archduke on a long table, waving his hand at her. ¡°Maxi,e here.¡± He beckoned her. She hesitated for a moment then walked towards him. The Archduke¡¯s curious brown eyes flew to her. Riftan ced hisrge hand on her small back, as if iming her as his own, and spoke. ¡°This is my wife, Maximillian. I would like to ask a favor from the Archduke, to take care of her in my absence.¡± ¡°Your wife?¡± The man eximed as he gawked at her to the point that it embarrassed Max. She struggled not to hunch her shoulders, then the man stoked his neatly arranged beard and tilted his head to the side in disbelief. ¡°Of course, I will do my best to ensure her safety andfort, but I don¡¯t understand¡­ Why did you bring your wife on such a dangerous expedition?¡± ¡°Lady Calypse is an excellent healer.¡± Hebaron, who was hunched over in his chair at the end of the table sipping wine, chimed in. ¡°Since the wizard of Remdragon was sent with the troop that went before us, Lady Calypse had no choice but to take his ce.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s face softened as he looked at her. ¡°It must have been very difficult toe along all this way. I will arrange a ce in the royal castle for the Lady right away so she can livefortably.¡± ¡°I intend for her to stay in the monastery.¡± Riftan immediately corrected him. ¡°I heard that there are plenty of Livadon¡¯s nobledies who are currently staying in Levan¡¯s great temple. Could you arrange for her to stay there?¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be difficult for me to do¡­ but wouldn¡¯t it be better for her to stay in the castle?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want my wife to get involved in any political matter.¡± Riftan¡¯s statement could be interpreted as rude, especially when the person he was addressing was an Archduke, but all Max could do was stiffen at the impudence of her husband¡¯s attitude and stare at the man; however, he simply burst outughing, not in the least offended. ¡°I heard that Elnuma Reuben III is keeping an eye on you right now. Are you worried that having your wife stay with the royal family at Livadon will fuel his distrust?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t be approached with ulterior motives if she stays in the castle.¡± ¡°¡­I suppose.¡± The Archduke sighed, and his short, dark brown mustache fluttered slightly. ¡°Considering your current position, it would certainly be best if you stayed at the monastery. I understand, I shall ask the High Priest to take you in.¡± Max straightened her sitting posture, holding Riftan¡¯s hand under the table, while her fate was being decided upon. Feeling her touch, he gazed down at her anxious face and sped her hand tightly. The Archduke quickly briefed them on the situation in Louiebell before leaving them to supervise the preparations. After a while, the priests entered with baskets filled with all kinds of food, wine and fresh fruits. Max sat with a grim expression as she ate herst meal together with the knights. Even the men around her were more tense than usual as they calmly discussed the itinerary for the next few days. She longed for some time to spend with Riftan and to bid farewell properly, but he was also busy discussing with the knights, so she didn¡¯t dare bother. Then, the knights of Livadon came to inform them that the preparations for the battle had now finished. ¡°Wagons filled with food and weapons are ready, and are standing by the square.¡± ¡°And the priests?¡± ¡°There are two high-ranking priests ready to leave.¡± Riftan and the knights immediately wore their armors back on. Every move they made felt like a shovel digging into her heart. She knew it would be painful to let him go, but the reality was much more difficult than she had imagined. Unable to say goodbye to the knights, much less Riftan, Max stood there like a honey-fed mule and watched them leave the temple. Riftan stood in the doorway, speaking to Archduke Aren, then turned to her. ¡°Maxi, the Archduke will introduce you to the High Priest. Come.¡± Max followed him out and, after crossing the garden and into the main temple again, she saw a middle-aged priest with curly grayish blonde hair waiting for them. He bent his knees stiffly in a curtsy to show proper due respect. ¡°I am Ma-Maximillian¡­ Calypse.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. This faithful servant of the Lord is Shem Mordecai, I have been told that you will stay with us for a while. Please make yourself at home.¡± ¡°Please take good care of my wife.¡± Riftan bowed his head politely toward the priest. Max¡¯s heart felt like freezing to the corner of her chest. Are we saying goodbye here? Then, he straightened up and turned to her. ¡°If any problem arises, let Archduke Aren know. He¡¯ll take care of it for you while I¡¯m away.¡± Max couldn¡¯t answer, she pursed her trembling lips. Riftan looked down at her silently, his face remained impassive and cold, like steel armor, devoid of any emotion. ¡°Take care.¡±
Note ¨C Nymeria: What?! That¡¯s it?? Dude, you won¡¯t see her for god knows how long, say goodbye properly!! I hope next chapter he will :C Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Max felt her throat tightening. She couldn¡¯t believe those were his parting words to her; so in and cold. It was as if the time they spent on the ship was a whole lie. Riftan turned, his face calm and collected as he walked away from the chapel. The knights beside him lowered their heads toward her and followed themander. ¡°We will be back soon and take the Lady back to Anatol, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Yulysion said confidently before turning around, and Max went out with the priests to see them off. Dozens of wagons and armed knights filled the courtyard beneath the stairs. At the forefront were the elite Knights of Livadon and the Remdragon Knights. Max¡¯s heart pounded violently inside her chest as their gs fluttered from the wind blowing from the west. She watched with inexplicable heaviness as Riftan mounted his horse. He soothed Talon, who whinnied and led him through the lines to make sure everything was in order. Then, he urged his warhorse towards the front of the line. The knights all began to move and follow Riftan¡¯s lead. Max watched the entire scene with a grim gaze when, suddenly, Riftan came to a halt. The knights who followed him stopped with him and began talking among themselves about what was going on. Riftan yelled something at Hebaron and didn¡¯t seem to care about themotion, then jumped off his horse and started striding back to the temple. ¡°Just a moment¡­¡± He hurriedly ran up the stairs and grabbed his wife¡¯s forearm. Before she could respond, he led her under a beautiful,rge tree located next to the chapel. Max struggled to keep up with him, stuttering, unsure of what to say. ¡°Ri-Riftan¡­ all of a sudden, why¡­?¡± ¡°Although I know this is damn foolish, but¡­¡± He turned around and gazed down at her as he muttered incoherently. Max was puzzled by the conflicted expression on his face. He stood stiff and awkward for a long time, before pulling something out of his pocket and holding his hand out. She looked down nkly at the thing in his hand. In the middle of his palm was an unevenly discolored piece of shekel that was slightly dented along the edges. ¡°Take it and keep it.¡± Max felt unsure and blinked at it. It was a simple copper coin used bymoners. She had never seen or touched one in her life. Unaware of his intentions, she looked at him in confusion and noticed that his face was noticeably tense. Without saying another word, he took her hand and handed her the coin. ¡°You must keep it with you at all times.¡± ¡°W-Why¡­?¡± Riftan¡¯s mouth twisted, as if hesitating, and finally relented with a sigh. ¡°I received it afterpleting my first quest when I joined the mercenaries. They say that it brings good fortune to carry it around. Even though It¡¯s just a stupid superstition among mercenaries, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to throw it, so I kept it¡­¡± Riftan blurted out thest sentence as if he was embarrassed to have dwelled on such superstition. ¡°It¡¯s true that I rarely get injured when I have this, so I carried it around with me ever since.¡± Max quickly returned the coin back to him as if she was burned by it. ¡°Then if that¡¯s the case¡­ Ri-Riftan, you should keep it!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need such a thing as luck now. I¡¯m confident that I will make it out alive without relying on such things.¡± Riftan¡¯s long fingers intertwined tightly with hers, then his eyes dimmed heavily. ¡°You have no idea how difficult it is for me to leave you. Although it is a foolish superstition¡­ I want you to at least have this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see it¡­ as foolish. If this does b-bring you luck¡­ I want Riftan to carry it around. You are the one going to a d-dangerous ce.¡± ¡°I prefer this.¡± He lowered his head and brought her fist that grasped the coin to his lips. He pressed his lips against the back of her hand, his bangs glistening and tickling her skin sweetly. ¡°My worries will be more at ease if you at least have this with you.¡± ¡°But¡­ M-my heart will burn all ck with worry for you.¡± Max muttered resentfully, her voice trembling. He lifted her head and looked into her eyes that brimmed with tears. His face was filled with an indescribable intense emotion. Riftan held her face between his palms and wiped Max¡¯s tears away with his thumbs. ¡°¡­It will?¡± She couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak and simply nodded her head. Riftan inhaled a short breath and lowered his head to press his lips against hers. Max¡¯s eyelids fluttered as his soft breath brushed against her lips. Riftan¡¯s gaze was seething but, on the contrary, his touch was delicate and short. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°Can you promise to¡­e back to me without a single i-injury?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I promise.¡± His neck convulsed as if he had just swallowed a bundle of Rock. Riftan leaned in again and kissed the back of her hand once more. ¡°Please, I hope that nothing bad happens to you¡­ may everything that falls upon you be all good¡­¡± Riftan murmured in a whisper, like he was praying, then straightened his posture again. He gently caressed her cheek softly. Max looked up at him with sadness in her eyes. ¡°I really have to go now.¡± Max nodded, keeping her lips sealed, as she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to prevent her tears from falling, and simply nodded her head again. Riftan stood tall. His legs immobile, as if they had turned into iron. Slowly, he stepped towards the courtyard. He didn¡¯t look back again as he trudged down the stairs and mounted his horse again. The knights waited in silence for theirmander to lead them, and when he spurred his horse forward, the army moved in perfect unison. Max stood at the top of the stairs with the priests as they watched them leave. She wanted to see her husband to the end, but her vision kept blurring with her tears. Gripping the coin tightly with both hands, she swallowed back her tears. When they finally disappeared from their sight, the High Priest, who was standing behind her, gently approached and turned her around to go back inside. ¡°We shall head back inside now. I will be showing the room that thedy will be staying in. ¡± Max quickly wiped the remaining tears with the sleeve of her dress and walked back to the temple. At that moment, a hollow wind gently blew across her back and Max turned to look behind her onest time, before following the High Priest inside. *** The monastery where she would be staying appeared after a long flight of stairs, past the main garden, auditorium, small vegetable garden, and a tiny chapel. Max gazed up with a surprised look at the four-story stone building. The structure was perfectly symmetrical, like the rest of the buildings in Livadon, and it was as magnificent as any other part of the temple, but somehow, it had a sullen atmosphere. The priest guided her through the convent and briefly exined the facilities inside. ¡°That area is where the sisters who are training to be priestesses live. There are also nobledies who are staying in to pray for their brothers or husbands to return safe and sound. Most of the people spend their time in their own rooms. However, everyone usually gathers to pray in the morning and evening. You shall be able to meet otherdies then.¡± Max tried to hide her difort at the idea of ??interacting with noble women from Livadon. She had no desire to meet them, not only because she was not confident in social settings, but she was afraid of being ridiculed for her stuttering. However, instead of rejecting the priest¡¯s offer, she simply nodded. The priest escorted her to a clean and spacious room on the second floor of the convent. ¡°This will be the madam¡¯s room.¡± Max looked around as she entered the exotic but grandiose room, which had arge ss window. It wasn¡¯t over the top luxurious, but decent enough. The bed was wide and the sheets on it were fluffy. There was also a varnished mahogany table and arge wardrobe against the wall to keep her clothes. ¡°The servants will bring your meals everyday to your room at your preferred time. If you wish, you can dine in the dining room with the priestesses and sisters. You may go anywhere you wish within the temple grounds, but kindly refrain from entering the north annex, as it is the residence of the priests. If you wish to leave the temple, you must notify the priestess in charge of this monastery, and we will provide you with an escort. Does the Lady have any questions?¡± Max could only shake her head slowly at the avnche of information thrown at her. The strict-looking young priest stared at her for a while, then turned around. ¡°If you have any questionster on, please let me know. I will instruct a servant to assist you immediately.¡± Then, he closed the door and left. Max,pletely exhausted, flopped down on the bed, and that was how her life in the monastery began. Like the otherdies, she spent most of her time idle in her room. During the day, she walked in the garden, but she never went out of the temple and hardly spoke with others. It was rare for priests and priestesses to approach her and engage in conversation; if they did, it was usually about the rules within the temple. Even when she ran asionally into the nobledies of Livadon in the halls, they would only share small nods as they passed. The atmosphere in the temple did not have any reluctance against guests from other Kingdoms. First of all, Max didn¡¯t expect her days at the monastery to be filled with vibrance and liveliness, as the expected lifestyle there was to be recluse and abstinent, but Livadon was currently facing a war against an army of monsters. The faces of priests and priestesses were solemnly hardened with heavy fatigue from all the preparations they had to do for worship and everyday burials. Even the nobledies who were condemned to wait for their family to return alive or as a corpse, were also dark. Max knew her expression was the same as theirs. When she saw herself in the mirror, a woman with a grim, pale face and dark circles under her eyes looked back at her. Every night, Max would toss and turn, worrying about Riftan. And when she opened her eyes in the morning, she would sob with longing for Castle Calypse. She wanted nothing more than to return to Anatol as soon as possible with Riftan, Ruth, and the Remdragon Knights. She attended morning services every day, praying for fate to side with them and to hear news of victory in retaking Louiebell Castle. However, the news that the messengers brought them were always the same. The fortress created by the army of trolls was tougher than expected and could not be easily prated. It was difficult to bring them to a confrontation as it could result in an all-out battle. Oftentimes, nobles who would visit the temple would be making all sorts of wild spections that this war wouldn¡¯t end until next year, if the situation continued like that. When she heard such talk, Max felt like her stomach was bloating and turning. The other nobledies¡¯ faces also clouded darkly. After spending ten days in such a grim atmosphere, Max entered the temple with her usual gloomy expression. However, the air was different than usual, she was puzzled. The nobles of Livadon and the nobledies who stayed at the monastery were strangely bright and excited. Unable to ovee her curiosity, Max carefully asked thedy sitting next to her. ¡°E-excuse me. Was there perhaps¡­ good news from Louiebell?¡± The young woman, who appeared to be roughly the same age as her, stared back at her with a surprised expression and replied in a friendly tone. ¡°The Holy Knights from the Great Temple of Osyria have arrived. They are going to pay their worship in the central temple this afternoon and head for Louiebell right after.¡±
Note ¨C LF: Aw dang, I wish they didn¡¯t have to part ? It¡¯s so heartbreaking to see this lovely couple separate. I guess in the next chapter we¡¯ll see the handsome holy knight? Hehe ?? Nymeria: This is stressing me out so much D: