Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 44: Chapter 44

A cheerful voice interrupted Maxi before she could finish her sentence. She turned to see who it was, and her eyes widened when she saw six squires standing next to the braziers with sweat running down their foreheads. Ulyseon, who was at the head of the group, quickly made his way toward her.

“I heard what happened, my lady! Is it all right for you to be walking around already? Those damned bastards! How dare they-”

“I-I’m fine.”

Garrow sighed, noticing Maxi’s discomfort at the sudden outpouring of concern. “Calm down, Uly. You’re making her ladyship uncomfortable.”

“I’ve just never been so frustrated about being a squire before. If I were a knight, I could’ve…”

Seeing Ulyseon’s crestfallen face, Maxi stifled a laugh. He reminded her of a large dog with its ears tucked back.

“Th-Thank you for your c-concern. But I-I’m fine, really. S-Some of the guards w-were injured, but Sir R-Riftan arrived j-just in time.”

“Yes, so I heard. And I heard those cowards surrendered immediately when they saw him. Can’t blame them! Those gutless scoundrels don’t stand a chance against Sir Riftan!”

Maxi rolled her eyes. Garrow had already started to shake his head. Once Uly began singing Riftan’s praises, he didn’t know when to stop. With a forced smile, Maxi gently cut him off.

“W-What brings you to the k-kitchen?”

Ulyseon looked at the squires standing around behind him as if he had just remembered where he was.

“The smell of meat was too tempting, so we sneaked out of practice.”

That must be why they look so nervous. Maxi smiled as if to reassure them that their secret was safe.

“W-We were j-just cooking up some s-sausages.” She turned to the cook. “W-Would you s-serve them some?”

The cook, who had been busily stuffing meat into clean entrails, looked up and grinned. “I’ll have a few ready in a jiffy, my lady. You there! Go bring me a plate of sausages!”

The squires eagerly gathered around, and Maxi slipped out of the kitchen to let them enjoy their snack in peace.

In the corridor, servants were lighting candles; with the days getting shorter, darkness could abruptly fall on the castle. The central hall and stairs in particular needed to be lit mid-afternoon for reasons of safety.

With the new sconces mounted on the walls, the castle was twice as bright as it had been. Lighting the extra candles, however, also required twice the labor.

“I-I’ll hire m-more servants first th-thing tomorrow m-morning,” Maxi said as she walked past the servants.

“I don’t think that’s necessary, my lady…”

“W-We need at l-least thirty more servants f-for a c-castle of this s-size. D-Do we have e-enough room to h-house them?”

“Yes, my lady. There’s ample room on the first floor.”

“Th-Then I’ll d-discuss the matter with his l-lordship tonight.”

After making the rounds at the stables, Maxi returned to her room to record a log of the day’s deeds. To manage a castle as large as Calypse Castle, keeping track of every detail was essential.

“My lady, the lord has sent word that he’ll be late and that you should dine without him. Would you like your meal in the dining hall?”

Maxi looked up from her writing when she heard Ludis’s voice. She had not noticed the maidservant enter. Wondering how long she had been at her desk, Maxi looked out the window. Darkness had already fallen. Was Riftan still working at that hour? Though he was a strong man, she couldn’t help but worry that he was not getting adequate rest.

“My lady?”

“I-I’ll eat in my r-room.”

Maxi rose from her seat. She absentmindedly poked at the logs in the fireplace and stared into the flames. A day in Calypse Castle felt both infinitely long and incredibly short. Managing the place was exhausting, but she was in much higher spirits than she had ever been at her father’s castle.

Is Riftan happy with me too?

Maxi’s face fell as she remembered Ruth’s words from that morning. It was clear from the way the knights treated her how unjustly they thought Riftan had been treated by her father. She would not have blamed him for resenting her, but he had been unfailingly kind to her.

Maxi could not comprehend his kindness. As far as she could tell, there was nothing the least bit appealing about her. She possessed neither striking beauty nor exceptional talent; nor had she been endowed with sharp wit.

The one thing she had was her standing as a duke’s daughter, but her lineage could not hold a candle to that of a royal princess. It was impossible to know what it was that Riftan saw in her. Whatever the reason, her father had been right when he had said that she was fortunate beyond what she deserved.

Her father’s cruel violence had unexpectedly turned into a blessing. Maxi swore to herself that she would do everything in her power to hold onto her good fortune.

***

“Mmm…”

A firm hand gently cupped Maxi’s breast over her dress. She awoke to see the faint light of dawn filtering in through the windows. She had fallen asleep after supper while reading in bed.

She was drawing the blankets over her shoulders to ward off the morning chill when a powerful arm snaked around her waist. Startled, she turned to look behind her. Riftan was fast asleep, his bare chest exposed. Wondering when he had returned, she peered at his face with suspicion. Was he pretending to be asleep again?

Maxi narrowed her eyes, on alert for any sign of movement. But Riftan continued to breathe softly. Convinced that he was genuinely asleep, she gently pushed his arm away. To her surprise, he released her.

Maxi turned toward him as quietly as she could. Though Riftan usually woke at the slightest noise, he remained sound asleep. The sight warmed her heart.

He must be exhausted.

Riftan’s face was bathed in the bluish glow of dawn. Maxi gently traced its outline with her hand. His hair had grown longer and now sat over his fine forehead in a tousled mess, pricking his eyes. Seeing the slight frown on his face, Maxi brushed back the strands, and the frown disappeared. She smiled at the sight of him sleeping sweetly.

Maxi continued to look at him adoringly, though he was at least a kevette (about 30 centimeters) taller than her and twice her size. On impulse she crawled into his arms and put her head against his chest. Seeing that he was still deeply asleep, she felt the urge to do something more daring.

She buried her face in his neck and took in his warm masculine scent, which reminded her of sunlight mingled with the fragrance of the soap. As she drank in the inexplicably sensual scent, heat rose inside her belly.

Maxi followed the outline of Riftan’s jaw with her finger. He was truly a stunning man. Even in the dark, his smooth skin gleamed like gold, and with his long lashes lowered, he looked as innocent as a lamb.

Something must be wrong with me.

Just a few months prior, she would never have thought to describe this rugged knight as innocent. But now, she was overcome by a strange desire to embrace him and rub her face against him. She suppressed the urge. She not only lacked the courage, but she was also loath to disturb his much-needed rest.

Maxi slid out of bed and left the room with her robe in hand. The crisp morning air chilled the corridor. She draped the thick robe over her thin woolen dress and made her way to the kitchen. When she arrived, there was a warmth in the air.