Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 86: Chapter 86

Startled by the princess’s sudden appearance, Maxi was about to flinch back when she managed to stop herself. She did not want to offend the princess.

“N-No… Your Highness.”

“Now that I think about it, you’ve never visited Drachium Palace, have you? I seem to recall your sister visiting every year though… Do you not like the capital, Maximilian?”

Unsettled by the direction of the conversation, Maxi broke out in a cold sweat.

“I-I was not… fond of traveling…”

“Even so, you must come visit the capital with Sir Riftan someday. If you do, I would gladly show you around.”

Before Maxi could say anything, Riftan brusquely cut in.

“We thank you for the invitation, Your Highness, but my wife is not strong enough to handle such a long journey.”

With that, he once again led Maxi toward the gate. Flustered, Maxi looked over her shoulder and saw the princess shrugging with an ambiguous smile on her lips. It did not seem like she was offended by Riftan’s rudeness, but she did not look pleased either.

Scampering behind him, Maxi said nervously, “You mustn’t… b-be so rude to Her Highness… Y-You must afford her every courtesy…”

“There is no need for you to mind the princess. That woman only wants to get a rise out of me,” Riftan spat out acridly as he strode onward. “I will show the princess the rest of our lands, so you do not have to concern yourself with her anymore. As I said, the woman has a knack for manipulating people as she sees fit. Nothing good will come from associating with her.”

“B-But… are you not busy with the road construction?”

Riftan frowned as if he were displeased.

“As it happens, the princess will be helping us with the construction,” he muttered with a sigh.

“H-How?”

“To build the road connecting Anatol to the ports, we have to eradicate the monsters that dwell in the southern parts of the Anatolium Mountains. Having a high mage like Princess Agnes assisting us will certainly be helpful. And by taking her along, I would be playing host at the same time. Two birds with one stone.”

Maxi was speechless for a moment.

“B-But… Princess Agnes is our guest sent b-by the king. H-How could we… ask such a service from our guest? If something were to go wrong…”

“Her knights have already carped at me for the same reasons,” Riftan said, lightly licking his lips. “Which is preposterous since it was the princess who offered to help first.”

It appeared that this was the matter that Riftan had sparred with the royal knight over. When Maxi looked up at him with concern, Riftan grinned and brushed her hair with his ungloved hand.

“You do not have to be so worried. They weren’t truly against it. They were merely seeking an excuse to challenge me to a duel. Not only is the princess capable of protecting herself, I am not so deranged as to put our royal guest in danger.”

Maxi pursed her lips. He spoke so gently that she could no longer think of an excuse to dissuade him. She could not object simply because she did not like the idea.

“So don’t worry yourself needlessly. Just rest. I know making all these preparations was not easy for you.”

“I-Is there… a-anything I could do… to help?”

Riftan narrowed his eyes as if she had said something outrageous.

“You?”

Willing herself not to be discouraged, Maxi stammered, “I am also c-capable of healing magic… s-so I’m sure I would be of some help.”

“I appreciate your offer, but no. There are currently a lot of mages in Anatol, so I intend to employ their services. There is no need for you to worry about such things.”

The refusal was so resolute that Maxi clenched her mouth shut, unable to say anything more. The only roles Riftan wanted her to take on were that of the lady of the castle and his wife.

Although he had told her that she was the only family he had, he did not consider her a comrade he could share his troubles with. Hiding her disappointment, Maxi trailed behind Riftan as he walked one step ahead of her.

***

True to Riftan’s words, Maxi no longer had to attend to the princess after that day. The princess spent most of her time with Riftan. They would ride out early in the morning to inspect the southern parts of the Anatolian mountains, and on days they did not, they would discuss matters at the training grounds or tour the lands.

Of course, they were never alone. Whenever they ventured outside Anatol, the Remdragon Knights and the royal knights accompanied them. When they toured within the borders, the princess’s attendants followed.

There was absolutely no reason for Maxi to feel anxious or discontent, but anxious and discontent she was. Seeing a woman as dazzling as the sun itself standing beside Riftan made her heart ache.

She let out a forlorn sigh and gazed out the window into the garden below. It was beginning to show more signs of life. To Maxi, Princess Agnes was the complete opposite of herself. Not only was she beautiful and full of confidence, she was also a force to be reckoned with.

Maxi worried that by spending too much time with the princess, Riftan would soon recognize his wife’s inadequacies. He would finally see just how pathetic and miserable she was.

A chill ran down her spine whenever such thoughts invaded her mind. Her whole life, Maxi had been compared to her sister, Rosetta. Hence, the thought that even her husband might compare her to another woman filled her with dread. Maxi chewed her lip. So ingrained was her sense of inferiority that she could not rid herself of it completely, no matter how hard she tried.

“What has caught your attention so, my lady?”

The voice snapped Maxi out of her thoughts, and she turned her head to look at the speaker. Ruth stood at the entrance of the library, munching on an apple. Maxi furrowed her brow at his nonchalant demeanor.

“Where… have you been? I was worried when you weren’t here… whenever I came to the library.”

“I had to shut myself up in my tower these past couple of days so I could finish making the magical device,” he answered flatly.

He strode into the library and plopped himself down on his usual seat.

Maxi gave him a quizzical look. “But don’t you usually… work on them in the library?”

“I wished to avoid running into that troublesome woman.”

“T-Troublesome… woman?”

“I am referring to Princess Agnes. I would like to avoid her as much as possible.”

Maxi’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer. Since most of the Remdragon Knights seemed to be on amicable terms with the princess, Maxi had assumed that Ruth would also hold the princess in high esteem.

“Do you… not get along with her?”

“I am afraid the acrimony is one-sided. I am merely a victim of the princess’s bullying. You see, she sees me as a renegade for breaking the rules of the Mage Tower.”

Ruth wrapped his arms around himself and shuddered.

“Truth be told, I would like to have nothing to do with her if possible. She made sure I had a hard time during the campaign. I doubt even a cleric would have treated a pagan so cruelly.”

“I-I was unaware of that. You… never said anything… whenever you mentioned the princess in the past.”

“I do not see why I would have to mention such a thing.”

He plucked a book from the pile next to him and flipped it open.

A strange sense of solidarity rose inside her. The fact that there was someone who disliked the princess gave her consolation. Though she knew how shameful that was, it still made her feel better.

“I-I do not think… she is a bad person…” she muttered in a veiled tone.

“Indeed. Objectively speaking, it is true that she is talented, as well as a fair-minded person when she wishes to be. She is also cordial to the Remdragon Knights. But I believe I am free to have my own opinion of her, and in my opinion, she is difficult to deal with.”

Ruth’s frankness made Maxi feel a little brighter. After a moment of hesitation, she confessed her own feelings.

“To be honest… I am also ill at ease with the princess.”

“I would have been surprised if you were not,” Ruth answered blandly, turning a page of the book. “It would have been strange if you were happy to welcome the princess seeing as she used to be a potential marriage match for your husband.”

Ruth’s words made her feel a lot better. Whenever she felt jealous of the princess, Maxi felt as though she were one of the wicked witches mentioned in the old tales.

“Be that as it may… I still feel quite awful… that I find her difficult… when she is h-helping Anatol.”

Ruth snorted, turning another page. “Believe me, my lady, the princess is not helping us merely from the goodness of her heart. I heard that she asked for monster loot in exchange for her assistance. That alone makes this a fruitful deal for the princess. And I’m certain she wants to use this opportunity to convince Sir Riftan to go to the capital since King Reuben desperately wants to keep Sir Riftan close.”

Maxi’s shoulders stiffened. “Princess Agnes… wants to bring R-Riftan back to the capital with her?”

“Well, I do not see why else she would come to such a far-off place.”

Ruth answered indifferently, but when he saw the look on Maxi’s face, he quickly added, “Of course, I doubt Sir Riftan would ever agree to it no matter how hard the princess tries to convince him. Our liege is not fond of life in the capital, nor does he like staying in Drachium Palace.”

“W-Why is that?”

“I would think it was obvious. Ever since he was knighted, the nobles visiting Drachium openly showed their contempt for him. Even if they were to change their ways now, I do not think Sir Riftan would welcome their company since he despises conceit to a fault.”

Ruth shrugged his shoulders as if what he had just said was of little importance.

“Besides, Sir Riftan is fond of Anatol. Why would he want to go to Drachium when he could be the king here?”

“K-King?”

“To Anatolians, Sir Riftan is a greater liege than King Reuben. After all, it was Sir Riftan who helped this desolate land on the edge of the kingdom to become the flourishing village it is now. The people adore him as their liege, and Sir Riftan also cares deeply for them.”

Maxi looked out the window. She was suddenly overwhelmed by an emotion she did not understand. The sweeping scenery outside was as beautiful as a mural painted with bold brush strokes. Was this land special to Riftan? Though she was relieved, she also felt a little lonely. It was as if she were envious of this land that bound him…

“In any case, Princess Agnes would not be able to stay here forever. She will surely return to the capital once she realizes that Sir Riftan cannot be swayed. Just endure her till then, my lady. I, for one, intend to avoid her as much as possible.”

Ruth’s jovial voice roused Maxi from her foolish thoughts, and she gave him a small smile. He was right. She could only wait and hope that the princess would give up on persuading Riftan and return to the capital as soon as possible. Then, hopefully, she would be liberated from this anxiety of losing her husband.