Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 72: Chapter 72

Although the threat was not directed at her, Maxi still felt a shiver run down her spine. Riftan held his glare against Ursuline’s defiant look for a long moment, then shook off the knights that were restraining him. He returned to Maxi and grabbed her arm before striding off.

Still shaken, Maxi glanced back at the knights before scrambling up the stairs to keep up with Riftan. He marched past the gate, not bothering to slow to her pace like he usually did. Maxi almost had to run to match his strides as they hastened through the garden.

“R-Riftan…”

At the sound of Maxi’s trembling, breathless voice, Riftan finally came to a stop.

Maxi did not know what to say; her mouth simply parted, but no words came forth. The shame crept in as the shock wore off. How could she have allowed such a humiliating display in front of him? All she wanted was to remain an elegant and dignified lady in his eyes.

She ducked her head to hide the tears welling up.

Looking down at her, Riftan saw it all.

“So why on earth did you have to go and-”

Maxi shrank back. Riftan’s throat bobbed as if he were swallowing a ball of flames.

He dragged his palms down his face as he said in a strangled voice, “I’m sorry… that you had to be exposed to such slights.”

Taken aback by the unexpected apology, Maxi peered up at him with wet eyes. Riftan swore under his breath and cupped her cheeks in his hands.

“I’m sorry. Please don’t cry.”

He leaned down to rub his forehead against hers. It was a clumsy and pitiful attempt at consolation, one that was more befitting of an animal. The tender gesture sent Maxi over the edge. She emitted a single whimper and clutched at his tunic, choking on a wave of tears. Riftan looked panicked and began wiping at her wet cheeks.

“Don’t cry. I swear to you, I will make sure he never speaks to you like that again.”

The knight had not slighted her through any fault of Riftan’s; the blame was all hers. The man had simply seen her for who she truly was – insecure, stammering, dim-witted, lumbering Maximilian – and had scorned her for it.

Her heart ached. If she had been a worthy lady, then Riftan would not have fought with one of his own. He would have garnered much respect had he married the princess.

She was utterly ashamed. Though she had always hated herself, she had never felt it as sickeningly palpable as this. She buried her face in his chest and squeezed her eyes shut.

“I-I am a-all right now… Y-You should get back t-to your duties.”

“Your eyes are red.”

They were back in their chambers.

“Th-They will be all right o-once I press a cold c-cloth over them. Y-You mustn’t w-worry…”

“How can I not?”

Maxi gave Riftan an apprehensive look when she saw him pause at the door. Back to her senses after sobbing like a babe in his arms, she was too embarrassed to meet his eyes. She felt inordinately grateful when Rodrigo called him away for something.

“I-I was just… a l-little embarrassed. I-I’m a-all right now… T-Truly.”

“I’ll make sure he never disrespects you again,” said Riftan resolutely.

Flustered, Maxi shook her head. “Th-That really isn’t n-necessary. Y-You need not… w-worry about m-my affairs…”

“It is my duty to worry,” Riftan said with an edge to his voice. “You are the one person in this world I must worry about. I know you’re upset, but don’t say such things.”

Maxi studied his stony expression with apprehension. She had only waved him off to prevent another confrontation with his knights, but it seemed he had taken it as a directive not to meddle in her affairs.

Staring into his brooding eyes, Maxi gave a bitter, inward smile. A truly dignified noblewoman would have demanded that her husband make the knight pay for his insults, but Maxi was well aware that she was not worth such efforts.

She offered him a small smile to conceal her dark thoughts and willed herself to sound unfazed.

“I-I’m sorry. I-I won’t d-do it again.”

“Stay here and rest. I’ll be back soon.”

“A-all right.”

As if unconvinced, Riftan studied her pale face for a while before leaving the room. Maxi sat in front of the fireplace and stared numbly into the crackling flames. The kittens that had been playing with the tassels on the rug crept into her lap. They rubbed their heads against her stomach, purring. Maxi distractedly scratched their backs and let out a sigh.

Her past shames clung to her like oil residue, congealing in her heart. Had she really thought playing the grand, noble lady would change her true self?

She was still the useless, stammering Maximilian. Overwhelmed with helplessness, Maxi curled up into a ball. Despondency shifted into anxiety. It felt as though the sandcastle she had so carefully built was crumbling down.

Could it be that Riftan truly was not ashamed of her? Would he remain unswayed by the mutterings of his men? Would he not grow tired of her someday?

Doubting the man who had been nothing but kind to her engulfed Maxi in a greater wave of shame. It was this twisted frame of mind that ashamed her the most. Distressed, Maxi buried her face in her hands until a sudden urge – a last-ditch, grasping at straws feeling – made her leap to her feet.

When she burst out of her room, the servants who had been lighting the corridor bowed their heads. Maxi feebly accepted their greeting and bounded up the stairs, taking two at a time.

Ruth was already back in the library. She had been worried he would not be there, but he was ensconced among the books as if it were unimaginable that he’d be anywhere else.

“I didn’t think you would come to the library again today, my lady. Is something the matter?”

Maxi shook her head, trying to catch her breath. Though she had rushed here to see him, she did not know what to say now that he was in front of her. Seeing her falter, Ruth gave her a rueful smile and pointed to the seat across from him.

“Why don’t you take a seat first, my lady. I was just thinking of calling on you. Though I stopped myself after realizing Sir Riftan would turn me away at the door…” Ruth trailed off before letting out a long sigh. “Has he calmed down?”

“A-A little.”

“That is reassuring.”

“W-Was Sir Ursuline b-badly hurt?”

“Considering who hit him, not really. He could easily have ended up with a broken jaw… but seeing as he’s only badly bruised, Sir Riftan must have held back.”

Silence fell over the room. Maxi looked away and gazed at the crimson sky outside the window. She then glanced back at the sorcerer’s gaunt face before taking in the messy piles of books on the desk.

She wanted to ask him something, but the question felt like a fishbone stuck in her throat. It was Ruth who spoke first.

“I apologize for earlier, my lady. I should never have taken you there without first informing the knights. It was careless of me. The knights have been more accepting of you recently, so I assumed it would be all right.”

“N-No. P-Please do not b-blame yourself, Ruth.”

Maxi waved her hands, flustered by the unexpected apology.

“I-I am all right. I-It is not as if… I w-wasn’t aware of how the knights f-felt about me… E-Even I would have been s-skeptical.”

“That does not change the fact that Sir Ursuline was out of line. The other knights have reprimanded him as well for affronting you so publicly. And I am sure that Sir Ursuline also knows deep down that he took it too far, and regrets his actions.”

Maxi gave him an awkward smile. Recalling the open hostility on the knight’s face, she found Ruth’s last sentence hard to believe. As if reading her mind, Ruth shot her another rueful smile.

“You might find it hard to believe, my lady, but he is not a bad person. He may be demanding, but he’s a steadfast and loyal knight. He has always been staunchly loyal to Sir Riftan. In fact, no other knight follows Sir Riftan with such blind faith. But ever since the incident, he’s been voicing his objections every chance he gets.”

“I-Incident?”

Hesitation flashed across the sorcerer’s face. He remained quiet for a long time before finally saying in a resigned voice, “When Sir Riftan turned down Princess Agnes’s hand in marriage.”

That name, flung out so unexpectedly, made Maxi’s spine stiffen.

Ruth studied her expression for a moment before adding flatly, “Sir Ursuline Ricaydo is from a prominent noble house. Having frequented Drachium Palace from when he was a child, he is well acquainted with the royal family. That’s why Sir Ursuline shows more fealty to them compared to any other knight in the order. So much so that he swore a geas to Princess Agnes the very day he was knighted.”

A geas was the highest pledge of devotion, deference, and adoration that a knight could swear to a person he served, and it could only be sworn once in his lifetime. Maxi’s face fell. If Sir Ursuline had pledged his geas to Princess Agnes, then his enmity toward Maxi was understandable.

“D-Did he wish for R-Riftan to marry P-Princess Agnes?”

“Frankly, yes. If I am to be honest, and I only say this because it’s all in the past now – everyone in the order thought he would marry the princess. Not only were they a great team in combat, but they were widely considered a good match. Everyone thought it an unspoken truth. So you can imagine our surprise when he turned down the marriage offer…”

Ruth trailed off, watching her reaction.