Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 111: Chapter 111

“I-I’m sure you know more than that. Even with me, you…”

“Even with you, what?” Riftan asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Maxi bit her lip, then blurted something she would normally never dare to utter aloud.

“Before I m-married you… I-I knew… n-nothing of… my own body, but you… a-already knew. I-It was you… who t-taught me… h-how it was done,” she said, tripping over her tongue.

Was she accusing him of using the skills he had learned from other women on her? Could there be anything more absurd? Even she could not understand why she was quibbling over such a matter.

Riftan looked bewildered as if he could not grasp the intention behind her question.

“Ninety percent of the words spoken by mercenaries are obscenities,” he said, looking uncharacteristically flustered. “Whenever they open their mouths, all they ever talk about is where and how to touch a woman to get them in a frenzy, as if it were something to brag about. I’ve had to listen to such talk since I was twelve. All I know are vulgarities, and, as it turns out, half of them weren’t even true…”

He gazed down at her before glancing away. He cleared his throat and changed tack, seemingly trying to extricate himself from the embarrassing subject.

“Anyway, I am glad that you are not hurt. Is it painful?”

“I do have a slight stomachache… a-and I feel listless… but it’s bearable.”

“You look pale.”

He caressed her cheek before turning to the bath with a sigh.

“I’ll bathe by myself. You should lie down and rest.”

Maxi did as she was told and slipped beneath the sheets. She heard bath water splashing behind her. As Riftan washed, she lay curled up in bed battling against the throbbing pain.

A while later, Riftan finished his bath and pulled on a pair of cotton trousers. He lay down behind her and pulled her close, gently rubbing her lower abdomen with his warm hand.

Maxi moaned in relief. With his bath-warmed body pressed against her back, she felt her tense muscles relaxing. He slid his other arm beneath her head and pressed his lips against her shoulder and cheek.

“It upsets me that you have to go through such a thing. How often does it happen?”

“I-It tends to happen intermittently,” Maxi replied vaguely.

She prayed that he would not notice that her cycle was different from ordinary women. His ignorance was a blessing in some ways. Feeling relieved and hating herself for it, she snuggled deeper into his arms.

The sweet, refreshing scent that was uniquely his stirred all her senses. He buried his face in her hair and drew in a deep breath as though he wanted to inhale her whole.

A low sigh escaped his lips. “I hope it ends soon.”

It was obvious that his desire for her pained him. Maxi could tell that the sentiment was not because of his unfulfilled need, but because he did not want to see her suffering.

Riftan continued to stroke her tight stomach and caress the outline of her cheek. His touch was light, as though she were a delicate bud that could be crushed by the slightest force. Maxi traced the prominent veins on his arms as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

***

The rain continued intermittently over the next few days. It drizzled down like fog, drenching the green leaves. Golden sunlight occasionally seeped through the pale clouds and lingered over the damp garden. The invigorating beauty of the sight lifted Maxi’s spirits.

For the first few days, Maxi sat by the window overlooking the grounds and studied the runes Ruth had prepared for her. When the pain in her stomach subsided, she went down to pluck herbs and dropped by Ruth’s tower to read a new book or mix healing remedies.

Learning new things by herself was no easy task. It was exhausting to read text-laden parchments until her eyes grew red, and practicing spells without the guidance of a mage was proving more difficult than she had thought.

She barely understood what she was doing, but she desperately forged ahead with the tasks Ruth had left for her. Though the days had been so far peaceful, there was no guarantee that it would last.

Anatol was a land bracing for turbulent change. New things happened every day, and its rapid growth meant that problems cropped up all the time. Maxi had experienced more during her six months in Anatol than the rest of her life combined. These incidents made her realize the importance of being prepared.

It would not do for her to waste time. Her days started early so she could pore over runes or study herbs. From time to time, she also treated the injured in Ruth’s stead. Nowadays, even the soldiers who had been cautious of her gradually got used to her presence.

Her visits to the infirmary turned into daily sessions where she would treat five to ten people a day. As time went on, she even began treating minor ailments like colds, headaches, and insomnia with various herbal remedies. It grew into a full-scale commitment such that it was impossible for Riftan not to take notice.

Maxi was at the infirmary at her usual time when she felt a chill run through her. She turned around to find Riftan blocking the entryway, silently staring down at her.

Seeing his stony expression, Maxi gulped. Behind him, Hebaron was shaking his head as if to say that the moment of reckoning had arrived. Gabel seemed to be feeling guilty for keeping her visits a secret; he stood with his mouth clenched and his shoulders slumped.

Riftan approached her like a stalking tiger. “Care to explain what you are doing here?”

“I-I was told that someone was injured… so I was in the middle of t-treating them.”

Maxi nervously glanced about before putting on an air of innocence and healing her current patient’s sprained ankle. Riftan’s eyes narrowed further.

Maxi offered a stiff smile as she rose to her feet. “I think… my job h-here is done. Well, then… please carry on.”

With that, she attempted to slip away, but Riftan was not one to give up easily.

He grabbed her arm. “I’m told that you’ve been coming to the infirmary as a healer for a while now… Why was I not informed of this earlier?”

“Y-You have been busy. I did not wish… t-to trouble you… with such trivial matters.”

His face hardened. “Stop being ridiculous. You deliberately hid it from me!”

“I-I did not hide it from you. I merely… did not mention it.”

“That’s your justification? Damn it. I was the only person in this castle who had no idea what my wife was doing the whole day. I feel like a fool! How could you do that behind my back when you know very well how much I worry for you?”

Maxi’s back prickled with cold sweat as she mumbled her excuses before suddenly frowning at Riftan’s rebuke. What had she done to deserve such criticism? Anger flared inside her as she recalled all the efforts she had made thus far.

She looked up at Riftan defiantly. “W-What… exactly have I done wrong?”

There was a short silence.

“What?”

“All I have done… is to t-treat the injured. I-Is that such a bad thing? Is… h-helping the wounded s-something to be criticized for?”

“Goddammit, don’t change the issue! You promised me last time, remember? You promised that you wouldn’t push your-”

“A-And I haven’t! Not once during the last two weeks have I been d-depleted of mana, n-nor have I felt dizzy.”

When Maxi refused to back down, a look of disconcertment flickered across Riftan’s face.

Maxi continued, “I-I also haven’t done anything dangerous. I have merely… t-tended to the wounded in the s-safety of these walls.”

“Goddammit, you are the lady of this castle! Why the devil do you also have to take on the role of healer?”

“B-Because I can!” Maxi cried, surprising even herself.

All her life, she had been dominated by the belief that she was incapable of doing anything. Yet here she was, asserting her pitiful ability and challenging the will of her husband whom she was obliged to obey. Had she gone mad?

Maxi managed to swallow past the lump in her throat. She continued in a more respectful tone, “I am… currently the only person in this castle w-who is capable of healing magic. I won’t be… overexerting myself like last time. My mana… has increased… so you need not worry about me fainting again.”

Changing his tactic as well, Riftan tried to coax her.

“I will hire a healer as soon as possible. I don’t like you doing this. Why do you insist on troubling yourself when you don’t have to?”

“Why… a-am I not allowed to trouble myself? You do it… R-Ruth does it… and the knights put themselves th-through all sorts of danger… So, why am I the only one n-not allowed to do so?”

“Damn it! You are not like us. You are the daughter of a duke!”

Maxi’s face flushed crimson. For the first time in her life, she was suddenly overcome with the urge to hit someone.

“W-What of it? E-Even Princess Agnes… does all kinds of grueling and risky tasks! So… w-why can’t a duke’s daughter do the same?”

Unable to think of a retort, Riftan merely licked his lips. Hebaron, who had been watching everything from the back with his arms folded, blew a low whistle.

“The commander’s losing.”

Riftan shot him a glare and turned to stare at Maxi again.

“The princess is a grand sorceress with a lifetime of experience! How could you compare yourself to her?”

A collective sharp gasp sounded through the room. Hebaron, who had been watching the argument wearing a smirk, covered his forehead with his hand.

Maxi’s face blanched as she gazed up before limply hanging her head. To her shame, her eyes burned with tears. Even if that were the truth, did he have to say it in front of everyone? Anguish welled up inside her.

“Damn it. What I meant was…”

Maxi coldly shook off his hand from her shoulder, and Riftan’s lips grew stiff in shock. She glowered at him before storming out the door.

“I don’t… w-want to talk to you for a while!”