Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 60: Chapter 60

Maxi timidly wound an arm around Riftan’s waist, joy and a dash of guilt growing in her heart. Riftan relentlessly compared his castle to her father’s out of fear that she was not content. Though she could have told him the truth about how her father had treated her, pride kept her lips closed. Instead, she burrowed her face in his chest to reassure him.

“C-Calypse Castle is w-wonderful,” she mumbled.

She felt Riftan let out a strained laugh above her head. It was clear that he did not believe her.

“I-It’s true. With th-the castle walls looking so g-grand and u-unassailable, I f-feel safe… A-And since the c-castle is on a mountainside, I-I can see the wh-whole of Anatol out th-the window. Th-The landscape is beautiful e-everywhere I l-look. Th-The servants are c-courteous and kind-”

Worried that Riftan might think her father’s servants had treated her poorly, she quickly changed the subject.

“B-But more than anything, th-the cook here is f-far better than the one at C-Croyso Castle. E-Everything he makes i-is so d-delicious that-”

She had gained weight since she had arrived in Anatol, but she stopped herself, afraid that Riftan would think she had become overweight.

“S-So delicious th-that…”

Maxi racked her brains before finishing her sentence.

“Th-That I’m a-always looking forward t-to my next meal! His d-desserts are excellent, and h-he makes delicacies that I’ve n-never even seen before.”

“I’m glad the food is to your liking.”

Riftan smiled in relief and began caressing her neck. Her mind eased, Maxi burrowed her face into his shoulder once again.

Riftan stroked her ear with a finger and let out a low groan. The subtle motions sent shivers down her spine. Just then, a gentle knock dispelled the intimate air that had grown between them.

Riftan grumbled to himself before saying gruffly, “What is it?”

“It’s me, Gabel Lachzion. Everyone is waiting for you in the council room, Commander.”

Riftan sighed loudly. “I’ll be right there.”

“Then I shall go wait with the others.”

Riftan waited for the sound of Gabel’s footsteps to grow faint before releasing Maxi from his lap. She sat on a cushion and continued to gaze up at him. The kittens poked their heads out of the basket, awoken by the flurry of activity. Riftan wistfully looked down at Maxi’s face, which was illuminated red by the glow of the fire, before pecking her on the cheek.

“I’ll see you at supper. I’ll have the cook prepare a feast.”

Riftan stood up, threw on a robe, and left the room. The kittens mewled in displeasure at having been disturbed. Maxi cradled them in her lap to feed them more goat milk before tossing them a ball of yarn. Once the kittens had tired of playing, she sat at her desk and opened the book she had been reading that morning.

Time passed quickly. When she next gazed out the window, darkness was descending. She took out the magic stone from the pocket of her robe.

She had started to carry the stone with her at all times since Ruth had told her it would help her cultivate mana affinity. Every now and then, she took it out to toy with it. She could not, however, feel any discernible change. Clasping the stone in both hands, she closed her eyes. The stone felt no different from an ordinary gemstone. She was wondering whether she might need to chant an incantation when she heard a knock, followed by Ludis’s voice.

“I’m here to help you get dressed for the banquet, my lady. Is now a good time?”

“Y-Yes. C-Come in.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Ludis entered, followed by the dressmaker’s wife Linda Selous and two of the new maidservants who had been hired a few weeks prior. Maxi’s eyes grew wide when she saw the pile of dresses in their arms.

Ludis set down a small box of jewelry on the desk. When she saw the kittens tumbling about on the floor, she scooped them up and placed them in the basket, which she moved to a corner. Next, she returned to the desk and adjusted the angle of the mirror while Linda and the maidservants laid out the brilliant dresses on the bed. Maxi gaped in bewilderment.

“These are the dresses you ordered, my lady,” Linda said brightly. “And what better occasion to wear them than a banquet!”

Linda lifted a beautiful navy-blue dress off the bed. Maxi gasped.

The dress gave off an elegant blue glow when illuminated by the firelight. Linda spread out the lustrous skirt for Maxi to see before proceeding to show her a gold-embroidered green dress and an ivory dress that sparkled as if it were studded with jewels.

“Are they to your liking, my lady? My husband and I spared no effort in making these.”

“Th-They’re lovely,” Maxi murmured in a trance.

“My lady! You should try them on!” urged Isinda, the affable maidservant. “Everyone at the banquet will be mesmerized.”

“Which would you like to try on first?”

“I think this green one will complement the color of your hair.”

Before Maxi could respond, Isinda picked up the dress in question and held it out to her. Maxi obligingly put the garment on. True to the maidservant’s words, the dress flattered her auburn hair. The long, flowing skirt was graceful, and the vine embroidery was breathtakingly beautiful.

Maxi twirled around in front of the mirror. After examining her carefully, Linda passed her the next dress. With the maidservants’ assistance, Maxi tried on all her new dresses, a sigh of contentment escaping her lips every time the soft fabric grazed her skin. Each time she changed into a new outfit, the maidservants eagerly chose jewelry and hennins to match.

Linda clasped a gold belt around the white dress Maxi was wearing.

“I think this dress suits you best, my lady,” she said.

Maxi studied herself in the mirror. An elegant noblewoman dressed in a flowing white dress stood modestly before her, her golden chemise peeking out underneath. A web of diamonds adorned her neck, and a topaz ring sparkled on her finger. Her eyes shone with excitement. Even to her own eyes, she looked as regal as any princess.

“I l-like this one t-too.”

“Then please allow me to arrange your hair, my lady,” said Ludis. “I think braiding your hair up would suit the dress better than a coronet. Shall I use a pearl hairnet to hold the braid?”

“I suggest a small braid on each side and adorning her hair with ornaments.”

Following Linda’s suggestion, Ludis combed Maxi’s hair and skillfully braided her hair at each temple. Next, she slid walnut-sized amber pins through her hair just above the ears and let the rest of her voluminous hair cascade down her back. Maxi stared in amazement at how elegant her red locks looked against her white dress. Ludis had worked magic on her unruly curls. The maidservants began to exclaim in admiration.

“You look marvelous, my lady!”

“You look just like the nymphs of the light! His lordship will be astonished.”

“He most certainly will. You look more magnificent than we’ve ever seen you!”

“Th-Thank you.”

“Is there anything you’d like adjusted?”

“N-No, this will d-do nicely.”

Linda nodded with a satisfied look on her face. As the finishing touch, she draped a wine-colored velvet cloak over Maxi’s shoulders. Maxi turned this way and that, inspecting herself. After entrusting the care of the kittens to the maidservants, she left the room.

The night cast long shadows in the corridor. Maxi followed the torches that had been lit by the diligent servants, Ludis trailing behind her. With Riftan’s return, the castle seemed to have regained its vitality. Faint voices could be heard coming from the floor below, and the smell of rich food and the sweet scent of wine permeated the cold winter air.

Maxi made her way past the servants, who were going about their duties with kerosene lamps in their hands. She went down the stairs and into the great hall. When she arrived at the dining hall, she saw that the room was bustling with knights, young attendants, and maidservants.

Maxi stood by the door and looked on blankly as the knights ate, drank, and chattered away by the flicker of candlelight. The table legs seemed to buckle under the hearty servings of food. A young lad who had been slicing off a piece of boar meat waved his hand in greeting when he noticed her.

“My lady!”

Ulyseon, clad in a charming white tunic, rushed toward her with a bright smile on his face. Maxi smiled back awkwardly. Remembering her and Riftan’s brazen display of affection the day before, Maxi could not bring herself to look him in the eyes. Ulyseon, on the other hand, began to babble as if he had clean forgotten about the incident.

“Have you been well, my lady? You must already know, but I went on my first raid with Sir Riftan. It was the most meaningful ten days of my life!”

Ulyseon spoke as if he had just returned from a pleasant excursion rather than a monster raid. Unsure of how she should react, Maxi let out a strained laugh.

“I-I hope you w-weren’t hurt.”

“Just a little bruised is all, my lady.” Ulyseon smiled bashfully and pointed to his knee. “It’s embarrassing to admit, but I tripped over a tree root and took a tumble down a hill. Fortunately, the ointment Mage Ruth gave us proved effective, so I was able to avoid inconveniencing the party, but Sir Hebaron mocked me for being a scatterbrain the rest of the time.”

One of the knights looked over his shoulder, looking as if the squire’s chatter irked him.

“Ulyseon Rovar, escort her ladyship to her seat,” he called loudly. “Plenty of time for your nattering later.”

Ulyseon offered Maxi his arm, scratching his head sheepishly.

“Pardon my manners, my lady. I was just thrilled to see you again. Please allow me to show you where the best food is.”

Maxi placed her hand on Ulyseon’s arm. He promptly led her to a seat at the center of the table and pulled out a seat for her with surprising grace.

“Allow me to take your cloak.”

Maxi gripped the strings of her cloak, hesitating. She felt self-conscious standing in front of so many people.

“My lady?”

Seeing Ulyseon’s questioning look, Maxi clenched her eyes shut. She removed her cloak and handed it to the squire. Silence fell inside the hall. Disconcerted, Maxi drew in her shoulders.